Customization is great, but easier system controls should be stealing the show.
Sonos
Sonos, it would appear, got fed up with the rumors about its upcoming new app and decided to set the record straight. They’ve unveiled a full preview page for the upcoming app update, which will officially launch on May 7th.
The most significant usability changes center on eliminating the need to hop back and forth between various app sections to find what you need.
The five icons for favorites, source browsing, system, search, and settings that have defined the app’s functions for years have now been replaced, at least in large part, by a single jumping-off point for everything users might need.
Customizing what appears on home screen is one of the biggest changes shipping with the latest version of Sonos’s S2 app. Sonos
Users can fully personalize this valuable screen real estate by pinning jumping-off points on the home screen to preferred audio sources and services and even point to specific playlists within each. Search is also persistently available at the bottom of the screen, right on top of the mini player.
The goal here is clear, especially given that Sonos states its intention directly on the preview page. “The Sonos app brings all your content and settings together in one place for effortless control.”
No matter how much Sonos wants to talk about programming and customizing the homepage, that last bit about effortless control, especially regarding the new app mini player, has me personally the most excited.
Unlike the current app, which only allows playing or pausing music via the mini player, the new iteration has added a few tricks. Not only can you now clearly see the level of the volume slider, but you can also adjust it. There also appears to be a button for choosing which speakers you’d like the music to play back on.
While these changes may only eliminate a single tap or two from the current app workflow, the new approach makes so much sense in daily practice.
Sonos also used the preview moment to tease a new web app addition that should run on all major browsers.
We’ll see how it plays out in practice with the rest of you starting on May 7th, and keep our fingers crossed that the brand’s long-anticipated headphones finally break cover then, too.