Amazon PhotosPlus discontinuation: Difference between revisions
added archive link with archive date |
|||
| (2 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
Amazon PhotosPlus was a subscription-based service that offered users the ability to display their chosen photos on their devices as the "primary content." Additionally, it provided 25 GB of Amazon Photos storage, and cost $2 per month. Announced in October 2023,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sobolewski-Kiwerski |first=Adrian |date=18 Oct 2023 |title=What is Amazon PhotosPlus and what devices does it work with? |url=https://www.pocket-lint.com/what-is-amazon-photosplus/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https:// | {{IncidentCargo | ||
|Company=Amazon | |||
|StartDate=2023 | |||
|EndDate= | |||
|Status=Active | |||
|ProductLine=Amazon PhotosPlus | |||
|Product=Amazon Echo Show | |||
|ArticleType=Service | |||
|Type=Advertising, Cloud Lockout, Service Termination, Planned Obsolescence | |||
|Description=Amazon canceled their cloud service for showing photos across devices despite launching a product based on this service a year prior. | |||
}} | |||
Amazon PhotosPlus was a subscription-based service that offered users the ability to display their chosen photos on their devices as the "primary content." Additionally, it provided 25 GB of Amazon Photos storage, and cost $2 per month. Announced in October 2023,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sobolewski-Kiwerski |first=Adrian |date=18 Oct 2023 |title=What is Amazon PhotosPlus and what devices does it work with? |url=https://www.pocket-lint.com/what-is-amazon-photosplus/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250402184222/https://www.pocket-lint.com/what-is-amazon-photosplus/ |archive-date=2 Apr 2025|access-date=4 Apr 2025 |website=Pocket-lint}}</ref> [[Amazon]] sent an email informing its users that it was discontinuing the service,<ref>{{Cite web |last=@wheelsee |date=20 Aug 2024 |title=@smarthomemama @verge @reckless1280 @imdavidpierce well can’t say I didn’t see this coming. Amazon removing the key feature of the Amazon Echo 8 Show photo edition. |url=https://www.threads.net/@wheelsee/post/C-58LrqSbYW?xmt=AQGzdSySswLxRPEtQdHvzY0PMn5k0eXCG2lzMqmc0irZoIQ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250331230445/https://www.threads.net/@wheelsee/post/C-58LrqSbYW?xmt=AQGzdSySswLxRPEtQdHvzY0PMn5k0eXCG2lzMqmc0irZoIQ |archive-date=31 Mar 2025|access-date=4 Apr 2025 |website=Threads}}</ref> cancelling it on September 12, 2024. This event has been described as having features which match the definition of a [[retroactively amended purchase]].<ref name="foo">{{Cite web |last=Pattison Tuohy |first=Jennifer |date=29 Sep 2023 |title=Amazon will charge you to use its new Echo Show 8 as a digital photo frame |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/22/23885332/amazon-echo-show-8-photos-edition-digital-frame-price-fee |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260113175435/https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/22/23885332/amazon-echo-show-8-photos-edition-digital-frame-price-fee |archive-date=13 Jan 2026|access-date=4 Apr 2025 |website=The Verge}}</ref> | |||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
| Line 12: | Line 23: | ||
==Discontinuation of service less than a year after release== | ==Discontinuation of service less than a year after release== | ||
In March 2024, Amazon discontinued the sale of the Echo Show 8 Photos Edition hardware.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roth |first=Emma |date=21 Aug 2024 |title=Amazon cancels the Echo Show 8 Photos Edition’s main feature — focusing on photos |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/21/24225149/amazon-end-photosplus-subscription-echo-show-8-photos-edition |url-status=live |archive-url=https:// | In March 2024, Amazon discontinued the sale of the Echo Show 8 Photos Edition hardware.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roth |first=Emma |date=21 Aug 2024 |title=Amazon cancels the Echo Show 8 Photos Edition’s main feature — focusing on photos |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/21/24225149/amazon-end-photosplus-subscription-echo-show-8-photos-edition |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251216124644/https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/21/24225149/amazon-end-photosplus-subscription-echo-show-8-photos-edition |archive-date=16 Dec 2025|access-date=4 Apr 2025 |website=The Verge}}</ref> Five months later, in August 2024, Amazon announced the end of the PhotosPlus subscription service. | ||
[[File: | [[File:Amazon PhotosPlus discontinuation notice_2024.jpg|thumb|250px|Amazon's email notification to PhotosPlus customers announcing the service discontinuation, sent August 2024.]] | ||
After Amazon cancelled the PhotosPlus service, the Amazon Echo Show 8 Photos Edition became functionally identical to the standard Amazon Echo Show 8,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heinzman |first=Andrew |date=21 Aug 2024 |title=Amazon’s $160 Digital Photo Frame Will Soon Be Filled With Ads |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/amazon-cancels-photosplus-subscription/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https:// | After Amazon cancelled the PhotosPlus service, the Amazon Echo Show 8 Photos Edition became functionally identical to the standard Amazon Echo Show 8,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heinzman |first=Andrew |date=21 Aug 2024 |title=Amazon’s $160 Digital Photo Frame Will Soon Be Filled With Ads |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/amazon-cancels-photosplus-subscription/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250403235259/https://www.howtogeek.com/amazon-cancels-photosplus-subscription/ |archive-date=3 Apr 2025|access-date=4 Apr 2025 |website=How-To-Geek}}</ref> with users forced to view advertisements and promotional content after three hours of photo display. | ||
==Customer response== | ==Customer response== | ||
The discontinuation caused substantial customer backlash,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amazon discontinuing the Photos part of the Echo Show 8 Photos Edition |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/amazonecho/comments/1ex6ar4/amazon_discontinuing_the_photos_part_of_the_echo/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https:// | The discontinuation caused substantial customer backlash,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amazon discontinuing the Photos part of the Echo Show 8 Photos Edition |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/amazonecho/comments/1ex6ar4/amazon_discontinuing_the_photos_part_of_the_echo/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241202185553/https://old.reddit.com/r/amazonecho/comments/1ex6ar4/amazon_discontinuing_the_photos_part_of_the_echo/ |archive-date=2 Dec 2024|access-date=4 Apr 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> particularly because: | ||
*Customers had paid a premium ($10) for hardware that would lose its primary distinguishing feature of avoiding ads | *Customers had paid a premium ($10) for hardware that would lose its primary distinguishing feature of avoiding ads | ||
*The product lifecycle had lasted less than one year | *The product lifecycle had lasted less than one year | ||