Losing My Religion



Today, in one email, Sonos has gone from being one of my favourite tech companies to being my most hated.

Here is the email:
End of software updates
In May, the following products in your system will be classified as legacy and no longer receive software updates and new features. This will affect your listening experience.
Play:5 (Gen 1) Kitchen
Serial: B8E9372C901AE
Play:5 (Gen 1) Office5
Serial: B8E9372ADB604
Play:5 (Gen 1) Living Room
Serial: B8E9372A54A23
Legacy products were introduced between 2005 and 2011 and, given the age of the technology, do not have enough memory or processing power to sustain future innovation.

Please note that because Sonos is a system, all products operate on the same software. If modern products remain connected to legacy products after May, they also will not receive software updates and new features.
However, none of the three devices they list are more than five years old (I moved into my current house five years ago and bought all the units subsequently).

Sonos' solution to this debacle is to participate in their well derided 30% discount scheme, whereby you trade in your old units for new at 70% of the cost.

This is wasteful, un-environmental and shows the danger of a company without a recurring revenue model and stiff competition. Just like the Apple 320c lost me as a customer for a decade, I will never buy a Sonos again.