Sonos Announcement – End of software updates on legacy equipment

You may have received a message in your Sonos app regarding the end of software updates for some products in your system. In May, the following products will be classified as legacy products and no longer receive software updates and new features.

ZP80, ZP90, ZP120, ZP100, Connect (Manufactured 2011-2015), Connect:Amp (Manufactured 2011-2015), Play:5 (Gen 1), Bridge and CR200

Any system including one or more of these legacy products will no longer receive software updates and new features. Over time this is likely to disrupt access to services and overall functionality.

We understand that this may be difficult for you and want to ensure that you understand your options and get all your questions answered.

As your installer, we’d be happy to walk you through the best options for your Sonos system.

Please contact a Circle9 representative with any questions you may have.

The following are some FAQ’s Sonos has shared with us that we think may be helpful:

Will customers still be able to use their legacy products after May?
Yes. Customers can continue using legacy products as before. Their system will stop receiving
software updates. Over time, this is likely to disrupt access to services and overall functionality.

What do my customers need to do if they have legacy products in their system?
We are giving customers options and the time to think them over.
● They can continue using their system as is and stop receiving software updates and
new features starting May 2020. Their system will work as it does currently, though over
time, this is likely to disrupt access to services and overall functionality.
● They can also Trade Up to a new Sonos product with a 30% credit for each legacy
product they replace. This program is optional and open to customers at any time
should they decide to upgrade to the latest Sonos products.

What is the Trade Up program?
Sonos’ Trade Up program allows customers to recycle select Sonos products in exchange for
a 30% credit on any new Sonos product. Eligible products include the following:
● Connect (sold until 2015)
● Connect:Amp (sold until 2015)
● Play:5 (Gen 1)
● All Zone Players
If a customer chooses to participate in the Trade Up program, their legacy products will be put
in Recycle Mode, a state that deletes personally identifiable information and prepares these
products for e-recycling. Recycle Mode also protects unsuspecting people from buying legacy
products that are approaching the end of their useful life and won’t provide the Sonos
experience customers expect today.

My customer wants to continue using legacy products in their Sonos system. What’s
going to change?
Starting May 2020 their Sonos system will no longer receive software updates. This means
their experience will initially remain the same, however, the functionality of features and
services will eventually be impacted as technology, particularly music service and voice
partners, evolves over time

What will the experience be like for customers with legacy products, compared to
households with modern products?
From May, customers with legacy products will no longer receive software updates or new
features. Over time, this is likely to disrupt access to services and overall functionality,
particularly as our music service and voice partners evolve their technology.
We will do our best to preserve core functionality and provide bug fixes, but our efforts will
ultimately be limited by the lack of memory and processing power of these legacy products.
Because Sonos is a system, all products in the home need to be running the same software. If
legacy products remain connected to the same system as modern products, then the modern
products will no longer be able to receive software updates or new functionality, either

When will the experience diminish for a legacy system after it receives its last software
update?
There won’t be any immediate impact, but over time, technology will progress in ways these
products are not able to accommodate. We will do our best to preserve core functionality and
provide bug fixes, but our efforts will ultimately be limited by the lack of memory and
processing power of these legacy products. An example would be a streaming service issuing
new software that cannot be made to be backward compatible, or that requires more
computing power than the old hardware can sustain.

Will Sonos devices ever simply stop working?
Sonos devices will continue to work as long as the hardware allows, and we expect no
immediate impact from the end of software updates. Over time, some features and
functionality will be impacted by changes to technology, particularly by music service and
voice partners.

Why is Sonos ending software updates for some products?
The reality is these are our oldest products, which have been stretched to their technical limits.
We’re proud that we have been able to keep these products part of the core Sonos system for
many years, but they simply don’t have the memory or processing power to sustain software
updates or new features.
We’re giving customers options and the time to think them over. One option is to continue
using these legacy products after May, knowing that over time their experience will likely be
impacted.

Should Sonos customers expect this to happen again?
Our commitment is to support products with software updates for a minimum of five years after
we stop selling them, and we have a track record of supporting for longer. Once a given
product stops receiving software updates, it will continue to work as it did the day before. Over
time, this is likely to disrupt access to services and overall functionality.