Andrew Heinzman
Sonos is splitting its service in two with the new Sonos S2 app platform. The new app supports high-res audio technologies like Dolby Atmos and offers improved security and controls. But it doesn’t work with some “legacy” speakers, and it’s the only controller that works with Sonos’ new Arc, Five, and Sub speakers.
In other words, Sonos owners with a mix of old and new speakers may find themselves using two Sonos apps. The original Sonos app, now called Sonos S1, will continue to receive security updates and bug fixes, but won’t work with Sonos speakers released in 2020 (or any year after 2020, for that matter).
This ain’t the most pleasant turn of events, but it’s better than nothing. Sonos originally planned to ditch its “legacy” speakers but decided to split its app in two instead, thanks to public backlash. Thankfully, only a handful of Sonos speakers are considered “legacy.” You can see a full list of S2 compatible products on the company’s website
Thankfully, Sonos has a trade-up program that makes it easy to upgrade your old “legacy” speakers. You just tell Sonos that you have an old speaker, and they’ll send you a 30% discount code for a new product of your choice. Sonos won’t brick your old speaker but will encourage you to take it to an e-waste recycler.
The new Sonos S2 app is available on Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS. You don’t need to update to the S2 app unless you’re buying the 2020 Sonos Arc, Five, or Sub speakers, which ship on June 10th. Still, Sonos suggests updating to the S2 app for the latest Sonos features, high-res audio, and improved controls. If you don’t own any “legacy” products, then the S2 update seems like a no-brainer.
