Since they have also released a webapp, my guess they are just wrapping the webapp in cordova (or something similar) for their different platforms. One code base but sluggish performance.
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Sonos Said Rolling Out Widely Criticized App Redesign Took 'Courage'
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Yeah, I suppose. Hope they can make it faster. It's super sluggish for me.
I'm ok with them ditching the Win/Mac apps in favour of a web app. Means I can now more easily control from Linux and ChromeOS Flex machines. But I wish it were possible to use it to control the local system without logging into a Sonos.com account (like is possible with the mobile apps). I'm not keen on giving my Sonos.com account to everyone in my house as it gives everyone full admin control over the system. Would be good if they could perhaps release a browser extension to enable web app to control local system without going via Sonos.com, or some other way of allowing others to use web app without giving away full system owner account credentials.
Rather than focus on this new app they should have put all their resources into getting the iPhone volume buttons working again. This is far more likely to drive new customers or keep existing ones as it’s very basic functionality that android users still have. This is laughable now. Oh and somehow they’ve managed to make the volume control within the new app even slower to change the volume on the Sonos speakers. Terrible. The whole app is very sluggish to change tracks as well.
With android you can turn the Sonos volume up and down with the phone volume buttons. You can’t do that on iOS. It was pulled a couple of years ago. Sonos said it was to hard to get right lol. But in the new app even changing the volume via the software is terrible. Today I counted 10 seconds between changing the volume in the app and the speaker volume actually changing!
Open letter to sonos ceo patrick spence
ceo@sonos.com
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Dear Patrick,
After significant investments in your Sonos smart home system with Alexa support, I am deeply disappointed by the latest update, which has substantially deteriorated the user experience. I am not alone in this sentiment. Many of your customers, who have similar high expectations and investments in your products, are also ready to organize. Should there not be an immediate and significant improvement, we are prepared to create a public momentum that could ultimately harm the value of your brand, Sonos.
I look forward to a prompt response that demonstrates your commitment to not only the needs but also the voices of your most loyal customers.
With concerned regards, Arne
----
Feel free to send your personal Version to patrick spence at his official email address ceo@sonos.com
ceo@sonos.com
---
Dear Patrick,
After significant investments in your Sonos smart home system with Alexa support, I am deeply disappointed by the latest update, which has substantially deteriorated the user experience. I am not alone in this sentiment. Many of your customers, who have similar high expectations and investments in your products, are also ready to organize. Should there not be an immediate and significant improvement, we are prepared to create a public momentum that could ultimately harm the value of your brand, Sonos.
I look forward to a prompt response that demonstrates your commitment to not only the needs but also the voices of your most loyal customers.
With concerned regards, Arne
----
Feel free to send your personal Version to patrick spence at his official email address ceo@sonos.com
Because there are directors/VP's that lose their credibility if they don't get "something new" released. They don't care if it's any good or not. They just want to be able to report that "they got something released."
Some people have been trying to convince me that I should buy Sonos. I'm even happier today that I have not.
But why? They are just asking for it from people who read sites like this. I don't use Sonos--I'll bet the users like the product/service so much, they don't even care.
But to those of us on the outside? WTF??
But to those of us on the outside? WTF??
What, exactly, is the advantage of Sonos? I use Apple Music (happily), have two HomePod Minis and one OG HomePod. What am I missing out on?
Can a Sonos user educate me (nicely)?
Can a Sonos user educate me (nicely)?
Courage?
The key difference between courage and foolishness is that courage involves thoughtfully taking risks with a realistic assessment of potential dangers deemed acceptable, whereas foolishness is marked by reckless decisions made without proper consideration of the consequences.
It has yet to be seen, if this really was courageous.
The key difference between courage and foolishness is that courage involves thoughtfully taking risks with a realistic assessment of potential dangers deemed acceptable, whereas foolishness is marked by reckless decisions made without proper consideration of the consequences.
It has yet to be seen, if this really was courageous.
lol I still love that line and keynote specifically for this.
Unfortunately Woz has been seriously quite since then about the company he's co-founded. I'm hoping he hasn't bowed out of the public light since then. I feel his insight and commentary actually pushed Apple - even if, like the Trash-can, they continually are blind to what is going on around them.
Hi, a kind description of my personal experience with the latest Apple audio hardware software
I have been a Mac enthusiast since 1985, with lots of experience - both professionally and personally.
Music crashes on my Mac; it's buggy, and the and the user interface often stalls. If you depend on accessibility, Voice commands, and smart home things like opening the door of your house from your bed cause you are capable of doing it yourself, likewise with lights switches, heating systems, timers, alarm clocks, etc. And you tried to organize your independent living in your own household without permanent physical assistance, trying to relate on Siri or Apple HomePod2, well... Good luck... I just sold 5 Apple HPs because it turned out that the central system, Siri/Home, is everything but smart; actually, I would call it brain dead on arrival.
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I opened the app yesterday to check it out and it was immediately pretty confusing. I am so happy that I don't really need to use the app ever - AirPlay has me covered.
Thanks for the reply. I don't use HomePod for any accessibility or "smart" things. Just music.
Still impressed that people buy that, so far behind other.
If you really need to go a sonos type of route please do yourself a favour, look at Bluesound.
If you really need to go a sonos type of route please do yourself a favour, look at Bluesound.
Apple stood to benefit greatly from pushing people towards the wireless headphone market because of their multiple (FFS) AirPod models and their Beats product lines. It's just capitalism, not the best interest of the consumer.
Sonos doesn't appear to have any other agenda than to have stuffed up.
I’ve never had a Sonos, or really any Bluetooth/smart speaker. I’m more of a headphone person I guess.
The main thing is that Sonos has a much bigger hardware ecosystem. There are several sizes of speakers, including some rather big and loud ones, subwoofers and portable speakers, not to mention soundbars and in-ceiling and outdoor models. Sonos also has devices like the Amp and Connect that let you add non-Sonos speakers and sound systems respectively to the Sonos system. And though it's subjective, Sonos speakers are generally slightly higher rated for sound quality than their Apple counterparts (when those counterparts exist).
The range of third-party services that can be integrated into the Sonos app is huge and, once integrated, they work seamlessly albeit with a slightly reduced function set. Well, at least on the old app; the new one has broken the link with CBC Listen on my phone. Not sure that Apple can beat that, especially in terms of providing access to the services all in one app.
I used to subscribe to Apple Music but put off by its inability to stream lossless and hi-res to most non-Apple systems, including Sonos, I switched to Qobuz and haven't looked back. Am now seriously questioning the wisdom of my heavy investment in Sonos, however.
You are missing the point. The aesthetics on the new app are undoubtedly an improvement. But what good are nice looks without key, expected and typical functionality? And some of the functionality that is there right now is very buggy.
Moreover, if you look at the ads and press touting the new app before it was released, some of the missing functionality is depicted in those ads. So clearly something went wrong - that is, this was rushed out the door as an unfinished product, but instead of saying anything before or even on the day of the release, SONOS pretended all was normal. It clearly isn’t.
So no one is talking about how great the app redesign looks. Instead they are talking about how it WORKS (or doesn’t work).