Why is the Sonos app broken?

Following back in the spring, the Sonos app was very broken and missing a function key. The company admitted it made a big mistake by pushing the redesign so quickly and explained that it has since uncovered other “issues” that prevented it from adding those missing features. Users were quickly frustrated, and now the company is so focused on fixing its app that it’s ready to launch before the holiday season. Let’s talk about how we got here, what happened with the app, the results Sonos is facing and what might happen next.

The backstory

Sonos released a completely redesigned version of its app for Android, iOS and desktop in May. The complete redesign focused on making it easier to play different types of content while also creating a hub that’s better suited to finding what you need. Of course, it should also work with the company’s various speakers and soundbars, and the fix happened before the release of the first Sonos headphones. Those cans, , brought new functionality that was supposed to be based on the app, so the company thought it was time to wipe the slate clean.

“We view app redesign as a key factor in Sonos’ growth as we expand into new categories and move more actively out of the home,” CEO Patrick Spence said in a company statement. “In addition to its state-of-the-art interface, the new system has a modular developer platform based on modern programming languages ​​that will allow us to drive innovation faster, and thus allow Sonos to deliver all kinds of new features over time with an easy-to-create operating system. we can’t stand it.” He also noted that “performance and reliability issues have crept in” over the company’s history, so the user experience has already suffered due to an aging platform.

Some customers will always resist change. The new customized interface took some getting used to, but that wasn’t a problem. The app lacked basic features like sleep timers and alarms. Users also cannot rearrange the speakers in different rooms, the speakers work intermittently and have trouble completing other basic tasks. Some say they can’t reliably load the app the first time they try.

“We’ve developed a new app to create a better experience, with the ability to drive innovation in the future, and the knowledge that it will only get better over time. However, since the launch we have encountered many problems,” said Spence. “Fixing these issues has delayed our previous plan to quickly install missing features and functionality.”

Spence outlined the troubleshooting roadmap in the same blog post, which initially included restoring the ability to add new products to your home setup. I even had trouble adding the Ace headphones to the app at first, but after a few tries I finally got it. Spence also said the company has released app updates every two weeks since the May 7 relaunch, and that it will continue that program later. The most recent version, which includes TV Audio Replacement with Ace headphones and , has brought a few basic features – such as the ability to clear the line in the iOS version.

“Ever since I took over as CEO, one of my main points of emphasis has been to get Sonos moving quickly,” Spence said on the earnings call. “That’s what led to my promise to deliver at least two new products every year – a promise we’ve successfully delivered. With the app, however, my push for speed backfired. “

To fall

Customers have been understandably upset since early May, which is well-documented on . But, user satisfaction is not the only problem the company faces. Since the new version of the app was broken and had to be fixed before the missing features were added, Sonos delayed the launch of two new products that were ready for sale in Q4. Spence said the company enlisted “the first Sonos experience software developer,” Nick Millington, to do “whatever it takes” to fix the problems.

And it’s not just a headache for customers. Sonos salespeople and installers, who are an integral part of the company’s business, are said to be so frustrated with what they’re experiencing trying to do their jobs that some of them have stopped selling. “As an installer when you try to talk about this with a potential buyer, it’s very embarrassing at this point if you just have to say, ‘well, the parent company is having problems,’ it makes you look like a jackass,” said one. he explained.

Spence explained on the company’s Q3 earnings call that the app debacle will cost between $20 and $30 million. CFO Saori Casey said that the amount was due to lost sales from software problems and the need to delay two new products that would have brought in more revenue. Therefore, Sonos had to revise its Q4 financial guidance to lower expectations until this “chapter,” as Spence describes the current fiasco, is resolved.

Although the company did not disclose the details of what one of the two delayed products might be, there have been rumors that provide some clues. in November that the company was working on a soundbar that would surpass the power of its current flagship, the Arc, in addition to a set-top TV box. Both of those products will be hot ticket items this holiday season, especially for the Sonos faithful.

Bloomberg he explained that the new soundbar will probably be $1,200, or $300 more than the Arc. Additionally, the new model will include “new technologies” following the acquisition of the company. In Sonos’ announcement of the move, it said Mayht has “invented a new, revolutionary approach to sound transducers.” Specifically, the company’s engineering methods allow it to make transducers, the basic component of speakers, smaller and lighter without sacrificing quality.

Accordingly Bloomberg report, the Sonos TV streaming box will be powered by an Android-based OS with various apps for different services. The device is said to act as a hub for Sonos gear at home. Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision should be on the specification sheet, and voice control is reported to play an important role in the functionality of the gadget.

Bloomberg he also explained that Sonos was working on a new high-end amplifier that would cost at least $3,000 and new eight-inch ceiling speakers. Frustrated retailers and installers may be hesitant to sell such expensive devices with the app in its current state, if Sonos can’t even add functionality to make it work. Any of these products would be two products the company was forced to delay, and any of them could have a significant bottom line before the end of the year. And that will be on top of early sales for the Ace, a device that should be popular this holiday season.

What happens next?

Sonos has a clear plan for how it intends to fix its buggy system, but there’s no timeline for how long that will take. The company has yet to deliver its Ace headphones that will map the room (with the help of a sound bar) to recreate the acoustics for a more realistic experience. And as we learned recently, new products are delayed for now.

“Building a new software foundation was the right investment for the future of Sonos, but our release in May fell well short of the mark,” Spence said on the earnings call. “We won’t rest until we’ve addressed issues with our app, and delivered new versions that improve our customers’ experience.”

The company is on hold until its operating system is fixed, with a full product pipeline connected in the foreseeable future – if reports are to be believed. From the looks of it, Sonos planned to release an app that wasn’t fully developed, but that it thought was stable enough to use, with the intention of adding features over time to improve the overall experience. However, a complete redesign was essential for the new technology and devices Sonos has in the works, as the company was clear that the old operating system could not support them. And since one of those things was the Ace, Sonos had to decide whether to wait a little longer to release its first headphones, a highly anticipated product, or continue with what it had.

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