Stopped working on Symbian

[DKlaus]

Device:
Nokia 808 PureView (and Nokia N8)

Operating System Version:
Delight 1.4 CFW (and Symbian Anna)

Spotify Version:
0.4.8.17.g21854b59 (on both devices)

Description:
Fails to connect. Sometimes appears to be online for a fraction of a second only (top bar flashes green), repeatedly (with about 10 seconds in between). Other times just continually offline.

This situation has prevailed for the last couple of weeks or more. Has something changed server-side? Will you fix it so that we who cherish our ancient Symbian devices still have reason to remain premium subscribers?

Oh, and I've just tried reinstalling. Shouldn't have done that. Now I'm stuck at the login dialog because it won't login - which means I've lost access to my offline tracks as well. Need I say that this sucks big time!

[gnovella16]

Hey there! 

Unfortunately, we don’t support this operating system any longer. Let us know if you need anything else.

Have a nice day 🙂

[DKlaus]

So your message to me is "Buy a new phone - or get lost!" - is that it?

I am of course aware that you don't support Symbian. However, since neither my operating system nor my spotify app has changed, it must be that something on the server side has. My question is: What has changed, and was it absolutely neccessary to change it in such a way that the Symbian app breaks? I'll bet you could make a simple check to determine that a connection attempt originates from a Symbian client and then handle that connection the old way. That's hardly 'support' (support would be to keep maintaining the app) - more like a courtesy to your loyal customers. I've been using Spotify since just about its inception - could that be 2008? And as a premium subscriber since early 2011 (from a Swedish account until it became available in Denmark)

You've made about $800 on my subscription alone. Please take this issue a little further.

[gnovella16]

Thanks for your feedback, but at the time we're focused on improving our app for supported operating systems. Since we don't update the app anymore for the new firmware releases you might get, it's possible Spotify stopped being compatible with your operating system. We'll make sure to pass on your comments to our developers and let them know it's something you'd like to see again.

Cheers.

[neakmenter]

Well this sucks doesn't it. Spotify continually releasing "upgrades" to their desktop clients that only serve to reduce options (such as where to save cache files) and to their iOS clients that seem now to take 30 secs or more to even open. And whilst doing internal server migrations manage to break established alternative access such as HARDWARE UNITS and OLDER operating systems including Symbian, that we are still paying for in our premium subscriptions. Is a shame. But I'm going to start rebuilding my cd and MP3 collection. Seems that streaming is tied to new hardware every darn year!

[fainthezone222]

what does Spotify receive from leaving us behind? we're still paying! I have a Nokia 500 and a Lumia 730 and i can't use Spotify, i have Android phones too, but i wonder why does Spotify want us to buy Android or iOS phones? The device we're using is not their business, i even think they should expand their territory with a j2me app, some people use vintage phones because they like it, it doesn't mean we can't afford the premium plan, i use spotify family and i want to listen to my playlists on my Nokia 500 and my Lumia, Spotify used to be so good, but gave us a punch in the face

[N900ify]

"Hey there" Disappointed to read this conversation and the lack of follow up from Spotify.

Gnovella16 "Unfortunately, we don’t support this operating system any longer. Let us know if you need anything else."

-> I would really like you to fix the login problems on Symbian devices mentioned above.

It is easy enough because the firmware stays the same, forever. And we don't demand you to create a hipper interface with social features. Just don't break the old client's simple functionality from the server side, ok?

->> 2nd I need you to imagine that for your customers like us who are sticking with very musical devices like the Nokia 808 this IS actually about the music and the music only.

We don't need the social app part and having ourselves automatically profiled to the max in the background by state of the art stofware clients running on 8 cores / 4GB RAM while the music is not seldomly average at best due to a lousy DAC.

Gnovella16: "Since we don't update the app anymore for the new firmware releases you might get, it's possible Spotify stopped being compatible with your operating system."

-->>  Symbian is about as safe as it gets in terms of possible firmware updates ruining Spotify's client functionality in the future. So no need to keep your emergency team standby for Symbian FW updates. Because there are none planned and none coming. Just keep the old client connecting and playing songs, ok? Thanks.

"We'll make sure to pass on your comments to our developers and let them know it's something you'd like to see again."

-->> Developpers will do whatever they are ordered and paid for to program.

1) somebody will tell them to fix whatever needs to be fixed on Symbian.

2) and this time not take a negative for an answer based on evasive arguments like above.

I don't think Spotify is a company where the developper is the marketing manager is the HR manager.

So the problem is higher up, not with the daily mindset of the developper.

Besides without wanting to wake sleeping dogs, I have another working client on another non-iOS non-Android OS that is as old as the street. Are you sure Nokia 808 / Symbian is not just blocked intentionally to deperately chase a group of Symbian loyalists (with a reason) to Android / iOS?

fainthezone222: "i have Android phones too, but i wonder why does Spotify want us to buy Android or iOS phones"

1) they can track us better on Android and iOS (the amount of unnesesary connections to exteranl parties made by Spotify on Windows is mind bogling and this is even harder to track on Android or iOS)

2) the less operating systems to "support" the better

You can tell when a software company really is into the music.

For a small company like Meteorasoftworks (QuasarMX) is able to support all those "dead" OS as well as the living ones.

https://www.meteorasoftworks.com  

If you need money for the Symbian client, well then feel free to collect it.

If you have ever heard a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge (2016 mainstream Android) vs a Nokia 808 (2012 running "dead" Symbian OS) on both QuasarMX and Spotify, then you will know which device to support for the love of the music.

If I only had the Galaxy S7 Edge, I would not need a Spotify account.

Have a nice day 🙂