Sonos is exploring the possibility of returning its previous Android and iOS mobile apps as the company struggles to manage the fallout from a rushed redesign that has frustrated many customers. The idea of re-releasing the older version, S2, signals the severity of Sonos's challenges in improving the new app, which performance issues and bugs have plagued since its launch in May. The new app has garnered overwhelmingly negative reviews, with a 1.3-star rating on Google Play, underscoring the dissatisfaction among users.
Reintroducing the old app could relieve users' unhappiness with the changes and ease the pressure on Sonos to resolve all the issues with the redesigned version quickly. Despite ongoing efforts to update the app every two weeks, significant problems remain, leading to discussions within the company about the feasibility of making the S2 app available again.
Sonos CEO Patrick Spence has defended the decision to rebuild the app from the ground up, arguing that the company needed to innovate and expand into new product categories. However, Spence has also acknowledged that the redesign's execution has been poor, admitting that it has negatively impacted product sales and forced the company to delay two major product launches originally planned for the fourth quarter.
One of the delayed products is the successor to the Sonos Arc soundbar, codenamed Lasso, which Sonos hopes to release in October. The company is also facing financial challenges as it works to correct the situation. Spence estimates the cost of resolving the app issues to be between $20 and $30 million in the short term.
Restoring the old app could present technical difficulties, as the new software relies heavily on cloud-based functionality, which differs from the architecture of the S2 app. Despite these challenges, Sonos is considering the move to prevent further alienating its customer base, which has been crucial to its success in the competitive consumer tech market.
This period marks one of the most turbulent times in Sonos’ history. What was once a respected brand in whole-home audio is now grappling with the consequences of pushing too hard on new projects. The app controversy has even overshadowed the launch of Sonos' first headphones, the Sonos Ace, and the company has had to lay off around 100 employees as it deals with the repercussions of the app's redesign.