Perhaps I am missing something, but I don't understand the appeal of this phone. Its only real differentiator seems to be the "instant customer service" feature.
I don't think you are, I don't think anyone else understands the appeal either.
Amazon Cuts Struggling Phone’s Price to 99 Cents
11–20 of 51 posts
Re: Amazon Cuts Struggling Phone’s Price to 99 Cents
#12It's interesting how the dynamics work these days, and how Amazon just doesn't seem to be getting it. People are perfectly happy to sign a 2-year contract on a well-designed fully-rounded functional phone, they do that by the tens of millions. They even pay $200 to get the phone. The phone has become personal, and also a necessity as you go through the day. Going through 2 years on a badly designed phone just because…
This may seem weird in Silicon Valley, but even in the US, a lot of people don't have $200 to pay for a phone.
Re: Amazon Cuts Struggling Phone’s Price to 99 Cents
#13Earlier quoted context omitted.
dang has commented on this recently and suggested there are new algorithms to boost "repeat" articles that didn't get traction the first time. the intent is to make sure quality articles get to the front page, even if they're ignored the first time. or something like that.
An article with a blatantly false headline oughtn't be the target of such boosting algorithms...
Agreed, the phone is 99 cents ON A 2-YEAR CONTRACT, not unlocked, which somewhat diminishes its value proposition.
Re: Amazon Cuts Struggling Phone’s Price to 99 Cents
#14The phone I got for $99 OFF contract is better than that phone.
Re: Amazon Cuts Struggling Phone’s Price to 99 Cents
#15It's interesting how the dynamics work these days, and how Amazon just doesn't seem to be getting it. People are perfectly happy to sign a 2-year contract on a well-designed fully-rounded functional phone, they do that by the tens of millions. They even pay $200 to get the phone. The phone has become personal, and also a necessity as you go through the day. Going through 2 years on a badly designed phone just because…
This may seem weird in Silicon Valley, but even in the US, a lot of people don't have $200 to pay for a phone.
Then they probably don't have enough money for a subscription service, and if they do, they're better off with a non-smart (dumb?) phone.
Re: Amazon Cuts Struggling Phone’s Price to 99 Cents
#16It's interesting how the dynamics work these days, and how Amazon just doesn't seem to be getting it. People are perfectly happy to sign a 2-year contract on a well-designed fully-rounded functional phone, they do that by the tens of millions. They even pay $200 to get the phone. The phone has become personal, and also a necessity as you go through the day. Going through 2 years on a badly designed phone just because…
This may seem weird in Silicon Valley, but even in the US, a lot of people don't have $200 to pay for a phone.
Price point does matter. There is a big market for the $0 phones (its what pushed apple to offer a budget iphone).
I think badusername's point was that price is a secondary determinant for people. The $200 phones everyone wants but not everyone can afford sell very well once they drop down to $0. However, the $200 phones no one wants sell just as well at $0.
Re: Amazon Cuts Struggling Phone’s Price to 99 Cents
#17Not sure why this phone wasn't $399 off contract in the first place.
Amazon is repeating HP mistake of thinking they have product that is the same level as Apple and pricing it the same. The Touchpad was released at $499 the same as the Ipad 2 at the time.
For a company that is well known to have thin margins were they thinking $649 is something people were going to pay? Get the phone out with a lot of people using it and then sell the Fire phone 2 for $499 next time.
Re: Amazon Cuts Struggling Phone’s Price to 99 Cents
#18Article content notwithstanding, calling it the "Amazon Fizzle" is a great burn.
As a prime subscriber, I'd feel that I get more value for my subscription if they finally made their streaming work on Android devices (I'm not sure if it works on iOS). There is no app and the last time I checked, firefox on android also wouldn't play the content. This phone just reinforces in me the idea that I shouldn't renew my subscription, because the free streaming is elusive because it doesn't play on my platform of choice, only that of amazon's choosing
Re: Amazon Cuts Struggling Phone’s Price to 99 Cents
#19Article content notwithstanding, calling it the "Amazon Fizzle" is a great burn. As a prime subscriber, I'd feel that I get more value for my subscription if they finally made their streaming work on Android devices (I'm not sure if it works on iOS). There is no app and the last time I checked, firefox on android also wouldn't play the content. This phone just reinforces in me the idea that I shouldn't renew my subsc…
Amazon just launched the Prime Instant Video feature on Android.
Re: Amazon Cuts Struggling Phone’s Price to 99 Cents
#20I suspect Amazon is in the space for the long haul and the Fire Phone is an open beta. They got phones out into the world; they found out to whom their brand on a phone is appealing (0.2% of mobile use is still a lot of people in terms of raw numbers); Amazon is able to collect live data on real use; and they can correlate all of this against the Kindle and Fire and their sales of physical goods.
To put it another way, they couldn't get this data any other way. It's not dissimilar to Microsoft and the Pre - real field testing is expensive but the only realistic way to come up with a long term strategy. And like Microsoft mobile phones are an important space for Amazon, but not necessarily core critical.
Apple doesn't have warehouses full of shoes and appliance parts and used books and neither does Google. Amazon's core is selling things that aren't on the cloud.