Unity control app ... 25 GBP !!! ???

[Clare Newsome]

the_lhc: I did mention the bundle at the end of my post!
You did, but your statement:

the_lhc: if you have an iPhone, they give you the option of not having
(and therefore not paying for) the controller.

needed clarifying: if you buy a bundle (which most people do), you are not given the option of having a controller- it comes as standard.

 

[scene]

Clare Newsome:the_lhc: I did mention the bundle at the end of my post!
You did, but your statement:

the_lhc: if you have an iPhone, they give you the option of not having
(and therefore not paying for) the controller.

needed clarifying: if you buy a bundle (which most people do), you are not given the option of having a controller- it comes as standard.

Clare, on what basis do you make the assertion that most people by a bundle?

 

[The_Lhc]

scene:Clare Newsome:the_lhc: I did mention the bundle at the end of my post!
You did, but your statement:

the_lhc: if you have an iPhone, they give you the option of not having
(and therefore not paying for) the controller.

needed clarifying: if you buy a bundle (which most people do), you are not given the option of having a controller- it comes as standard.

Clare, on what basis do you make the assertion that most people by a bundle?

Not answering for Clare but she's almost certainly correct, to get yourself started it's really the only sensible way of doing it, unless you definitely only want one zone but then you'd be better off buying something else, IMO.

 

[Clare Newsome]

scene:

Clare, on what basis do you make the assertion that most people by a bundle?

From conversation with Sonos a few months back, which is when I also asked about the iPhone app, and whether that would mean the controller being dropped from the bundle. Of course the arrival of the S5 could change all that...

 

[The_Lhc]

JohnDuncan:the_lhc:you have a choice over how much you want to spend on them (or not)

Bit like iPhone apps then?

Only if the iPhone app was an absolute necessity, like speaker cables are.

I think it's expensive as well, but isn't everybody getting a bit up to high doh

Getting what?

about something that they don't have to buy because a) there's a controller in the box already, b) they may not have an iPhone or c) they don't actually have a Uniti in the first place...

I think people are just expressing surprise at an app that a) costs £25 and b) whose competitors' apps are generally given away free.

 

[scene]

the_lhc:scene:Clare Newsome:the_lhc: I did mention the bundle at the end of my post!
You did, but your statement:

the_lhc: if you have an iPhone, they give you the option of not having
(and therefore not paying for) the controller.

needed clarifying: if you buy a bundle (which most people do), you are not given the option of having a controller- it comes as standard.

Clare, on what basis do you make the assertion that most people by a bundle?

Not answering for Clare but she's almost certainly correct, to get yourself started it's really the only sensible way of doing it, unless you definitely only want one zone but then you'd be better off buying something else, IMO.

But the bundles only save you money, if you want to use the CR200. If you want to use the iPhone/iPod (or android) app, then they're actually costing you more...

 

[scene]

Clare Newsome:
scene:

Clare, on what basis do you make the assertion that most people by a bundle?

From conversation with Sonos a few months back, which is when I also asked about the iPhone app, and whether that would mean the controller being dropped from the bundle. Of course the arrival of the S5 could change all that...

But was that conversation held when they first released the iPhone app? If so, how has the release of the app, not to mention the S5 (as you so rightly say) affected things?

 

[The_Lhc]

Clare Newsome:the_lhc: I did mention the bundle at the end of my post!
You did, but your statement:

the_lhc: if you have an iPhone, they give you the option of not having
(and therefore not paying for) the controller.

needed clarifying: if you buy a bundle (which most people do), you are not given the option of having a controller- it comes as standard.

Ok, that's fair enough, although if you didn't want a controller you could buy the ZP90 and ZP120 separately and save yourself some money (although NOT the full price of the controller though, as the bundle is discounted over the individual selling prices, you'd save about £120), so you would assume that those who buy the bundle probably do so because they want the controller.

As it is the bundle is (just about) cheaper than buying a ZP90, ZP120 and cheapest iPod Touch, so that would only be worth doing if you actually wanted an iPod as well.

 

[Clare Newsome]

scene:

But was that conversation held when they first
released the iPhone app? If so, how has the release of the app, not to
mention the S5 (as you so rightly say) affected things?

Nope, that was some time after the app release - which is why they were able to tell me about the boost in business it has given them. But that they were sticking with the controller as standard for now.

Their UK business grew 90% last year, boosted by both the S5 and the iPhone app.

Interestingly on the app, they said there've been far more downloads of it than they'd expected - far more than the number of Sonos systems out there. So that's everyone in the household - or even friends/family - ready to play with their nearest Sonos system.

 

[Frank Harvey]

scene: But in the long run, Sonos must be cutting their own throats on the Controller front because who's going to buy a £270 (sorry - not sure where I got the £100 from in my earlier post - wishful thinking?) controller when they can get a more functionally rich iPod Touch for £135 and download the free controller app?

Those that don't want to charge the thing every day!! And there's a few little extras like Twitter access vie the dedicated remote.

 

[The_Lhc]

Clare Newsome:
scene:

Clare, on what basis do you make the assertion that most people by a bundle?

From conversation with Sonos a few months back, which is when I also asked about the iPhone app, and whether that would mean the controller being dropped from the bundle. Of course the arrival of the S5 could change all that...

Yes the S5 is being heavily pushed with the iPhone app along side it and I can't remember the point I was going to make about that... oh well.

I don't suppose you asked them about the faintly ludicrous situation of having the S5, which is basically a ZP120 with built in speakers, selling at 50 quid LESS than the ZP120? I still don't understand the thinking behind that.

 

[scene]

the_lhc:Clare Newsome:the_lhc: I did mention the bundle at the end of my post!
You did, but your statement:

the_lhc: if you have an iPhone, they give you the option of not having
(and therefore not paying for) the controller.

needed clarifying: if you buy a bundle (which most people do), you are not given the option of having a controller- it comes as standard.

Ok, that's fair enough, although if you didn't want a controller you could buy the ZP90 and ZP120 separately and save yourself some money (although NOT the full price of the controller though, as the bundle is discounted over the individual selling prices, you'd save about £120), so you would assume that those who buy the bundle probably do so because they want the controller.

As it is the bundle is (just about) cheaper than buying a ZP90, ZP120 and cheapest iPod Touch, so that would only be worth doing if you actually wanted an iPod as well.

That's a fair comment on the price difference [Thinks: maybe that's where I was getting the £100 from in my original post]

So if you haven't got an iPod Touch / iPhone, or don't want to use it as a controller, then go for the bundle. But then again, the bundles sort of assume you have one amp and one place where you just want to attach speakers. I would want two ZP90s - one to attach to the AV system and one to the HiFi system...

 

[The_Lhc]

scene:Clare Newsome:
scene:

Clare, on what basis do you make the assertion that most people by a bundle?

From conversation with Sonos a few months back, which is when I also asked about the iPhone app, and whether that would mean the controller being dropped from the bundle. Of course the arrival of the S5 could change all that...

But was that conversation held when they first released the iPhone app? If so, how has the release of the app, not to mention the S5 (as you so rightly say) affected things?

No, the iPhone app has been available for MUCH longer than that. I think it's been included in at least the last two firmware revisions and they don't come along that often.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Clare Newsome:I've talked to Sonos about this - their sales have shot up since they introduced the iPhone App. It's almost a marketing tool for them (which is another reason it's free).

The difference though is that the Naim comes with a remote so isn't in need of the app - let's say someone buys the bundle, so they havea remote and a ZP90 for the mina system of the house, then they have a ZP120 which all they need is a pair of speakers which can be controlled by an iPod which chances are there is already one in the house. It's an ideal tool for having a zone in your kid's room, as they'll more than likely own an iPod.

 

[Clare Newsome]

the_lhc:[
I don't suppose you asked them about the faintly ludicrous situation of
having the S5, which is basically a ZP120 with built in speakers,
selling at 50 quid LESS than the ZP120? I still don't understand the
thinking behind that.

It's all about market-building.

The S5 is Sonos' great lure- start with that and then build up the system. Hence the highly appealing price, plus packaging - which doesn't feature words like 'multiroom', ,merely 'expandable'...

Remember, there's a lot of ex-Apple bods at Sonos - they know their marketing onions

 

[scene]

FrankHarveyHiFi:
scene: But in the long run, Sonos must be cutting their own throats on the Controller front because who's going to buy a £270 (sorry - not sure where I got the £100 from in my earlier post - wishful thinking?) controller when they can get a more functionally rich iPod Touch for £135 and download the free controller app?

Those that don't want to charge the thing every day!! And there's a few little extras like Twitter access vie the dedicated remote.

And they see Twitter access as a positive selling point why?

[Not to mention, I'm fairly sure you can get Twitter on an iPhone / iPod...]

 

[Sliced Bread]

JohnDuncan:...but isn't everybody getting a bit up to high doh about something that they don't have to buy because a) there's a controller in the box already, b) they may not have an iPhone or c) they don't actually have a Uniti in the first place...
LMAO

 

[John Duncan]

I'm bored now. Don't buy the iPhone app for the Uniti. Probably because of c) above.

Being 'up to high doh' is being stressed or excitable (one's voice goes up an octave).

 

[The_Lhc]

scene:the_lhc:Ok, that's fair enough, although if you didn't want a controller you could buy the ZP90 and ZP120 separately and save yourself some money (although NOT the full price of the controller though, as the bundle is discounted over the individual selling prices, you'd save about £120), so you would assume that those who buy the bundle probably do so because they want the controller.

As it is the bundle is (just about) cheaper than buying a ZP90, ZP120 and cheapest iPod Touch, so that would only be worth doing if you actually wanted an iPod as well.
That's a fair comment on the price difference [Thinks: maybe that's where I was getting the £100 from in my original post]

So if you haven't got an iPod Touch / iPhone, or don't want to use it as a controller, then go for the bundle. But then again, the bundles sort of assume you have one amp and one place where you just want to attach speakers. I would want two ZP90s - one to attach to the AV system and one to the HiFi system...

Prior to the release of the new controller, the CR200, there were actually different bundles appearing on Sonos' website, one with two ZP120s in and one with two ZP90s in it, I can't remember if either bundle included a controller (which would have been the CR100) but it has been done before. One can only assume that the sales figures for those bundles didn't make it worthwhile, although they weren't available for that long. The recent survey Sonos sent out included a few questions on the topic of bundles, so perhaps something will change based on the results of that.

 

[Frank Harvey]

scene:And they see Twitter access as a positive selling point why?

[Not to mention, I'm fairly sure you can get Twitter on an iPhone / iPod...]

It is actually, just checked. They must've added it as an update recently at some point because I couldn't find it when I first downloaded the app. Although searching for it, the CR200 was quicker than my iPhone.....

One major thing I didn't know before though, is that you can't access Last.FM, Napster or Deezer via the iPhone/iPod - which is fine if you don't want these, but Napster, for me, is a major part of having the Sonos added to my system.

 

[The_Lhc]

JohnDuncan:Being 'up to high doh' is being stressed or excitable (one's voice goes up an octave).

Oh I see, I've never heard that one before! I've actually learned something in this thread...

 

[scene]

Clare Newsome:
Remember, there's a lot of ex-Apple bods at Sonos - they know their marketing onions

Maybe that explains the release of the iPhone/iPod app then - they've all got them, and want "an app for that"...

 

[The_Lhc]

JohnDuncan:I'm bored now. Don't buy the iPhone app for the Uniti. Probably because of c) above.

You've never heard of the concept of arguing the principle of something?

If we weren't aloud to discuss anything we didn't own this forum would have some very short threads in it.

 

[Alec]

im bored too now. shame, as we need lots of interesting topics whilst those pampered babies kick a ball around a glorified playground, and that company gets lots of free advertising.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Hyundai? Yes, it's a pain, isn't it...?