New app for new devices only: Sonos users now have to make a decision

From now on, new functions are only available for younger Sonos devices. If you use a mixed system with new and old speakers, you have to decide whether everything will stay the same or will be streamed separately in the future.

After Sonos announced that some older devices would no longer receive updates from May, the excitement was initially high. Should this really mean that the elderly streamers will become technical junk, even though they are still fully functional? Maybe it was planned that way, but Sonos boss Patrick Spence said a little later that there were no new functions for the oldies, but they would be kept alive with updates for as long as possible. Now the time has come: with the new app, a decision is due in households with mixed systems.

S1 or S2?

The app, which has been christened S2, includes support for higher-resolution audio technologies, so the brand new Soundbar Arc is ready for Dolby Atmos after the update. For the changeover, customers only have to download the new app and delete the old one. However, this only works if there is no old, incompatible device in the system where Sonos says that the memory is no longer sufficient for the new features: Zone Players, CR200, Bridge, Connect (1st generation), Connect: Amp (1. Generation) and play: 5 (1st generation).

In such a case, customers who do not want to replace the old devices with cheaper new ones have two options: You can leave everything as it is or use the oldies separately from the others with the old app. In both cases, old and new devices continue to receive bug fixes and security updates, but no new functions. If you buy a Sonos streamer that came on the market after May 2020, there is no option to continue operating the entire system with the previous app (now S1), as these are not compatible with it.

Open end

How long the aged streamers will keep their current functionality is open. "We will work with our partners to keep your music and voice services running on our oldest products for as long as possible because their storage and processing power is limited," Sonos writes. "If we encounter a fundamental issue for the Sonos Experience that cannot be fixed directly, we will let you know."

If you separate the system into old and new, the younger devices receive new functions with the S2 app, the old ones with the previous application, bug fixes and security patches. However, the speakers can no longer be grouped together. If you still choose separate streaming channels, Sonos has the necessary instructions on a support page.