[wirrbel]

I think what Sonos did there was fairly ok from a customer-interaction point of view, but bad from the environmental perspective.

There is a difference between bricking a device and offering a trade-in program, or offering a trade-in programm. The former does not allow you to continue using a PURCHASED device (your property), the latter allows you to continue using your property or OPTING for the trade-in programm. Sonos didn't kill the devices without the customer OPTING for the purchase of a new one. I guess it's kind of bad UX, but an offer to the customer.

From an environmental perspective its obviously bad. Bricking kills reuse in a second hand market and is an insentive to take working devices out of operation.

Yet, its not the first sketchy thing I remember hering about Sonos and I am glad I bought Teufel multimedia systems https://www.teufel.de who I have no recollection of pulling any of these moves.

[mkj]

Even from a customer interaction point of view it's dubious. Sonos gear benefits from a network effect, so giving someone a hand-me-down speaker has potential for future sales there.