Sonos Delays Two Products to Focus on Fixing Its App

Sonos chief Patrick Spence has revealed that his company is delaying two hardware products to concentrate on fixing its redesigned app.

While participating in a call to discuss the latest earnings, Spence said the audio firm had to focus on the app “ahead of everything else.” The delayed hardware was originally supposed to arrive in the fourth quarter.

The executive didn’t describe the new devices, but one might be the rumored Lasso soundbar poised to replace the Arc.

Spence defended the Sonos app overhaul as the “right thing to do” as it modernized the platform and allowed for faster upgrades. However, he also admitted that his decision to rush the release “backfired,” and that the bugs and missing features left users with an experience worse than in the previous software.

The company won’t stop until customers are “raving about Sonos again,” the CEO said.

Spence formally apologized for the botched release in July, and Sonos is releasing app updates on a two-week schedule to fix bugs and restore features. During the call, the leader added that unspecified discounts were coming to thank customers for “sticking with” Sonos during the tough times. They’ll begin in the weeks ahead and run for at least half a year.

Sonos is faring well despite the problems. Its revenue grew slightly year-over-year in its fiscal third quarter, and its performance “slightly exceeded” expectations.? The company credited the rise to the launch of its Ace headphones.

The Ace is an unusual product in Sonos lineup, and not just because it’s the brand’s first headphone set. Apart from a TV Audio Swap feature that only recently reached more soundbars, the Ace doesn’t currently have many hooks in the company’s ecosystem. A promised TrueCinema feature coming later this year will provide virtual surround sound based on a room map.