With the new Arc Ultra soundbar now available for preorder, it's the perfect time for Sonos to go into detail on how it's amending many of the issues still plaguing its accompanying app.
In a blog post, Sonos CEO Patrick Spence spoke candidly on the nature of the poor rollout, which began on May 7. He also highlighted major software improvements addressed in the new update. A general timeline of events was also included, with Spence noting "a bi-weekly cadence" for all future software improvements.
Currently, the Sonos app is on version 80.10.06 (Android) and was last officially updated on October 15. That's the same day Sonos launched preorders for its new Arc Ultra soundbar and Sub 4. You can check out the release notes to see what major changes came from that, though it wrangled music library indexing, better queue management, system update scheduling for Android users, and more.
Sonos also denoted several upcoming changes set to arrive in late October, mid-November, and mid-December, adding fuel to Spence's bi-weekly update strategy fire. These enhancements come at the perfect time as it tries to steer consumers into its newest product launch, which will officially debut on October 29.
Sonos CEO voices major changes to app
Patrick Spence, CEO of Sonos, voiced immense disappointment on the app's displeasing launch back in early May. He goes into detail on the ways the team has addressed the problems still underpinning the app and the steps Sonos is taking to make it all the more enjoyable and functional for its users, which you can read more about in its detailed community notes page.
Sonos staff did warn executives of the potential pitfalls of changing the app, though to little avail. The company even delayed several product launches in the interim, but inevitably made the announcement of its new Arc Ultra in the face of myriad leaks.
"Since May 7, we have released new software updates approximately every two weeks, each making significant and meaningful improvements, adding features and fixing bugs."
Patrick Spence
The changes now available on the app bring it to around 90% functionality of what was promised at launch on May 7. Here's a full rundown of what's now available in the newest update dated October 15:
- Improved queue management including ability to delete and reorder on Android
- Music library indexing and reliability improvements* (Requires latest player update - 81.1-58074 or higher)
- Improved TalkBack functionality in Settings on Android
- The ability to schedule System Updates on Android
Spence noted that "there is more work to be done," which is addressed more prominently later in the blog post. The bi-weekly update schedule will be meted out to the Sonos app in the coming weeks and Spence even provided his email (ceo@sonos.com) for users who want to give direct feedback.
It's here where Sonos outlines the next steps, starting with an update scheduled for late October on iOS and Android devices that features improved system setup functionality, volume control and responsiveness, overall system stability, music library improvements, and Arc Ultra and Sub 4 support.
Additional updates are bound for the Sonos app in mid-November and mid-December. These will see the inclusion of playlist editing, multiple home support for Android users, UI improvements, and volume control and responsiveness on Android. It seems by year's end Sonos's debilitated app might finally be back to 100% functionality and could pave the way for Sonos products to return to the best soundbars lineup.
