- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Email to a Friend
- Report Inappropriate Content
Smart Home series - seriously, seriously Bose!?
With the release of the Smart Home (SH) series and Bose Music app it looks like existing SoundTouch (ST) products will be rendered completely useless. Why would Bose prioritise development of the existing ST products through releases of new firmware and apps when the new SH series is basically replacing ST products? And there seems to be no plans what-so-ever (ref. "this has never been a discussion") to provide a firmware update to existing ST products to support the new Bose Music app.
E.g. SH 700 soundbar appears to be "copy-and-paste" of the ST 300 product line except for inbuilt Alexa-support, probably updated CPU/memory capacity, Bluetooth-based remote control, removal of a few ports (e.g. HDMI IN) and an heftier price tag (100 USD more than ST300). SH is not a new product line that serves as an alternative to ST; it is basically a complete replacement of the entire ST series without providing backward compability to customers who have invested in ST products with an expecation of loyality due to the fact that ST is completely dependent on software services to function properly.
Over the last two years I have expanded my setup with a wide range of different ST products (ST 300, multiple ST 10-30 etc.). Mainly driven by the promise of releasing Apple AirPlay 2 support ("we are commited to bring Airplay 2 support to existing ST products"), and the historically long lifecycle of Bose products.
Now it looks like I am left with three options:
1) Replace my hardware-wise identitical ST products with SH products, mainly just to get access to new functionality through updated software. A really costly alternative without any pros to me as a customer.
2) Continue using my ST products, but with the expecation of no software updates what-so-ever. The functionality available 5 years ahead (including existing bugs..) for ST products is realistically no different from today.
3) Sell all my Bose products to someone who has no clue that Bose is fooling existing customers, which is far from a sympathetic option.
I am hugely disappointed about the "clean start" direction Bose has chosen, and as a loyal customer who have spent way to much on Bose ST products I am at least expecting some answers or indications to the questions below to allow me to take a decision:
1) Did I get it all wrong, or are there really no plans of releasing SH firmware to existing ST products?
2) Is "we are commited to bring Airplay 2 support to existing ST products" still a commitment?
3) Any concrete plans for releasing new functionality (besides AP2) in the ST platform in the near future, e.g. sticky grouping?