Popular speaker company Sonos have backed off their controversial device-bricking recycling program that got them into some hot water earlier this month. They were set to offer existing customers a 30-percent discount off a new Sonos product if they "recycled" their current one by permanently destroying it electronically. The problem came with Sonos' definition of recycle, which essentially meant bricking the old speaker making it unable to be sold, donated, or used at all.
On Thursday, the company posted a letter from the CEO announcing the end of the controversial program. "We are not bricking them, we are not forcing them into obsolescence, and we are not taking anything away." CEO Patrick Spence was clear in his apology that older products would continue to work even after they end software updates in May of 2020. He also noted they were still working on ways to have modern and legacy products co-exist in the same household.
The apology comes after weeks of backlash and boycott threats from the public. The apology was short but efficient, having older products work without ongoing support is a fair enough compromise.
Anyone invested in the future of recycled hardware should consider this a big win. If a big company like Sonos was able to successfully brick products with no repercussions, that might have encouraged other companies to follow them. It's easy to imagine a 30-percent off or similar motivation in exchange for destroying old products becoming an industry norm.
Sonos' smart speakers are some of the most expensive on the market Their popular smart home program intends to have a speaker in every room of a house, with each costing up to or over $1000. Not allowing a single new product to be added alongside the old ones meant buying a brand new set or dealing with old products without further updates.
Customers that don't want to dish out the premium for a new product can still buy a used model. The new attitude from Sonos also allows those who want to buy and keep a product for a long period of time to do so. The new stance is good for Sonos' customers, and hardware owners in general.
Source: Sonos
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