Summary
- Sonos introduced a new app just a few months ago, causing massive outrage because of its bad design and lack of features.
- Sonos CEO Patrick Spence committed to getting the app into good state by October 2024.
- There’s now news that the brand could bring back the old app in order to provide some much-needed damage control.
Just a few months ago, there was genuine excitement from the Sonos community, with news of a completely new app that would be making its way to the Play Store. At the time, no one could ever imagine the fallout that would come from the release, with Sonos fans being very vocal about the new app and its terrible changes, which prompted the brand to ask for vital feedback on how it could be improved. Sonos stated at the time that it took “courage” to deliver this all-new iteration of its app, and while we love seeing the evolution of products, this was just one of those times when the wheel simply didn’t need to be reinvented.
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Sonos would eventually yield a bit, adding in features to the new app that it should have had from its initial launch. This whole fiasco would even overshadow the launch of the brand’s latest headphones, the Sonos Ace, with CEO Patrick Spence being very candid at the time, shedding light on how the launch of the new app could have been handled better. Since then, Spence has issued a formal apology, with plans to get the app into a good state by October 2024. But it also appears that the brand may have an alternate plan, one that involves resurrecting the old app.
We knew things were bad at Sonos, but not this bad
The news comes from The Verge, stating that there have “been discussions high up within Sonos” about the idea of bringing back the old app. Sonos CEO Patrick Spence has been clear that changes are being made to the new app, with a public timeline that showcases when and how things will go down. But the changes aren’t set to be complete for a few months, and it’s very clear that the company could really use a win right now.
This decision seems even more prudent considering that the new app has even derailed the brand’s product release schedule for 2024, with Sonos opting to delay two of its upcoming devices until the new app is fixed. While we love the commitment here, that’s got to be a hard pill to swallow. Even more so, considering that Spence shared that this whole ordeal is likely to cost the brand between $20 to $30 million when all is said and done. And there are even reports of fresh lay-offs that will reportedly impact 100 employees.
Over the years, Sonos has built a brand that strives for excellence, and while it’s had a very good track record up until this point, this is a good lesson for the brand to see what happens when those expectations aren’t met. From now until October, Sonos will continue to issue software updates on a bi-weekly basis, with detailed release notes being made available for those curious. It remains to be seen whether the old app will ever make an appearance, or if Spence and Sonos will just continue on the dangerous road currently being traveled.
