Sonos Considering Bringing Back Its Old Mobile App Amid Ongoing Issues

[MacRumors]

Just a few months after debuting an all-new mobile app for controlling its audio products, Sonos is considering bringing back the previous version of the app following numerous user complaints, reports The Verge.

While Sonos has been working to address a number of missing features and issues with the new app and has laid out a timeline to keep users updated on the company's progress, The Verge reports that "discussions high up within Sonos" have centered around potentially offering the old app as an interim solution.

Letting customers fall back to the older software could ease their frustrations and reduce at least some of the pressure on Sonos to rectify every issue with the new app. At least for now, the redesigned version is all that’s available, which makes it impossible for some customers to avoid its flaws.

Just last week, Sonos CEO Patrick Spence revealed on the company's earnings call that it will be delaying two upcoming product launches due to "challenges with our new app." While Spence did not identify the products in question, one of them is likely to be the successor to the company's flagship Arc soundbar.

Article Link: Sonos Considering Bringing Back Its Old Mobile App Amid Ongoing Issues

 

[clayj]

Or they could republish the old app as "Sonos Classic" and keep the new app as well, while they work the bugs out of it. Best of both worlds.

 

[Gengar]

LMAO. It must really be hurting their sales for them to consider doing something like this.

 

[coffeemilktea]

The Verge reports that "discussions high up within Sonos" have centered around potentially offering the old app as an interim solution.

I guess some wildly overpaid executive sitting in a boardroom somewhere figured out that it wasn't a good idea to rush the "upgraded" app and that it needed more work instead of being forced on their customers, huh?

 

[nikhsub1]

JFC yes please!

 

[dylanwho]

JFC yes please!

I haven't used the app for anything besides installing devices, what are some of the issues?

 

[Zwhaler]

Why didn't Sonos allow opt in beta testing of the new app? They would have avoided all of these problems if they listened to user feedback as an opt-in.

 

[B-Mc-C]

Apple should just buy these guys. Would only be half the cost of their Beats acquisition. Beats is more portable and low-end consumer brand, Sonos can be their home audio / higher-end consumer brand.

 

[jz0309]

ouch, if they do that, no-one will ever upgrade that SW again

 

[jarman92]

Why didn't Sonos allow opt in beta testing of the new app? They would have avoided all of these problems if they listened to user feedback as an opt-in.

Presumably because they needed the new app to support their decidedly mid headphones. But nothing about this makes much sense so who knows.

 

[iObama]

HAHAHA

Wow.

Because of course.

 

[TheMountainLife]

I used to deploy them in my old job. I've never understood companies that force their setups through an account + app. Real headache to manage remotely

 

[Remy149]

I only use the app to set my hardware up. They really want to win consumer loyalty they should reduce the prices on some of their hardware

 

[nikhsub1]

I haven't used the app for anything besides installing devices, what are some of the issues?

Not sure if serious? There are many threads - here is one: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...pp-redesign-provides-progress-update.2432227/

 

[MNWildFan]

I've never understood companies that force their setups through an account + app.

*cough* Microsoft *cough*

At least during the setup of a Mac, iPhone, or iPad, Apple lets us bypass the Apple ID linking and do it later at our convenience unlike being forced to login with or create a Microsoft account when setting up Windows

 

[EmilGH]

Poor SONOS… so sad what's happened to them. They used to be the undisputed champ and now… a chaotic mess of confusion and mediocrity with premium pricing and no clear value proposition.

It's cheaper to run wires and use a proper multi-zone AirPlay receiver than whatever it is they are trying to sell these days. Might seem more daunting, but with the money you save, you can afford your streaming bills.

 

[slainbabyyc]

I got a Sonos ray and immediately returned it for two HomePods. Sounds soooooo much better, without even getting into the cluster**** of the app.

In my other living room I have a some bookshelf genelecs mounted to the wall with a matching sub, routed into a dac that takes optical from my tv that takes hdmi from apple tv. Painless airplay no Sonos app needed and far superior sound. And the genelecs only cost me a grand!

 

[okjedi]

Do they mean the really crappy app that was there before this crappy app? LOL

 

[Ken91]

Love my Sonos Five and Beam but the app has always been below-par and the updated one is an unmitigated disaster, has an awful untidy user interface and home page and just doesn't work.

 

[Belisama]

Sonos, Inc. (2002 - 2024)
Cause of death: self-inflicted wounds.
Some of these people will get a bonus anyway...

 

[ghanwani]

I would like to see from Apple:

- Old Macbooks/Macbook Pros
- Old iPhone
- Old iPad
- Old iPod
- Old iTunes App
- Old macOS
- Old iOS

 

[hevaKmaI]

I got a Sonos ray and immediately returned it for two HomePods. Sounds soooooo much better, without even getting into the cluster**** of the app.

In my other living room I have a some bookshelf genelecs mounted to the wall with a matching sub, routed into a dac that takes optical from my tv that takes hdmi from apple tv. Painless airplay no Sonos app needed and far superior sound. And the genelecs only cost me a grand!

Haven’t used the ray but I can tell you that a stereo pair of two Era 300’s sounds *way* better than it has any right to. For them being in similar price ranges, two HomePods don’t even hold a candle to two Era 300’s. I don’t know what magic they did with those, but it is phenomenal.

 

[bollman]

Strange. I use that app daily and I can't say I've hit a single bug or annoyance yet.

 

[macpro2000]

Or they could republish the old app as "Sonos Classic" and keep the new app as well, while they work the bugs out of it. Best of both worlds.

I said this exact thing about 2 months ago. Why is it that hard?

 

[Viridian5]

Almost every major app I use allows users to opt in to the “new version” for months/years before being forced to migrate over. This ongoing saga with Sonos is embarrassing for them