Amazon recently announced a new version of the Kindle Fire, the company’s highly popular tablet/eReader device. While many people are excited about the new device, there is one major thing that is driving people away, ads. Amazon is featuring its Special Offers and Sponsored Screensavers in the updated Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD tables. The only problem is that you can’t opt out of having them, meaning they are permanent.
As Amazon puts it, these offers display “on the lock screen and lower left hand corner of the home screen.” What that means is that they won’t interfere with the device itself or appear in other apps. This type of stuff first came about on the original Kindle Fire back in 2011 with the program originally designed as a way for users to save money off of the price of a Kindle in exchange for allowing ads to appear on the screensaver and at the bottom of the home screen.
Now, Amazon is charging $20 less for its Special Offers Kindle devices than it does for ad-free ones. Previously, users had the option of opting out of ads after buying a Special Offers Kindle in exchange for an additional $20. However, that is no longer the case, meaning that offers on the lock screen and at the bottom of the home screen will be there to stay.
This is actually a good move for Amazon. By doing this Amazon can sell sponsored spots for advertising revenue and can also push users to spend more money within the Amazon ecosystem using the Special Offers tool. This could also be an effective way for content owners to promote a release to a large audience of users.
The impact of the ads will also probably be entirely positive for consumers as well. Amazon’s pricing on these Kindle devices is extremely aggressive, undercutting almost every major player in the market. It makes sense that this would be one of the ways Amazon would offset that price so they company doesn’t take huge losses in profit. Have small ads on your lock screen and home screen or pay an additional $50 to $75 for a device? The choice is yours.
Source: Mashable – The New Kindle Fire Has Ads and You Can’t Opt Out
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