“All of the new Kindle Fire tablets include ad-supported ‘Special Offers,'” John P. Falcone reports for CNET.
“That means that the lock-screen will have have an ad, along with a link on the home screen to a full list of sponsored deals,” Falcone reports. “Previously… Amazon gave you two ways to get ad-free versions: you could buy the more expensive, ad-free version of the product to begin with (a $20 premium on the new e-ink Kindles), or you could “buy out” of the ads after purchasing the Special Offer Kindle by simply paying the difference later, through your Amazon setup page.”
Falcone reports, “With the new Fire models, Amazon is removing both of those opt-out options… An Amazon spokesperson has confirmed to CNET that there will be no way to buy out of the Special Offers ads.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote earlier today:
Likely not much of an issue for Amazon’s price-concious target market, but here’s the thing: As we’ve seen with Android phones, cheapskates don’t make the best customers. Therefore, those ads are likely to be less effective and Amazon’s goal of selling content is hamstrung by the type of skinflint consumer to which they are pandering. In other words, if you really want to sell content, it’s best to target the well-heeled who actually have money to spend and who are proven to spend it. Unfortunately for Amazon, those are Apple customers.
• Why smart retailers lust over Mac, iPhone, and iPad users – June 26, 2012
Wealthy smartphone users more likely to have iPhones – April 2, 2012
• Study: iPhone users vastly outspent Android users on apps, respond much better to ads – August 20, 2012
• Researcher: Apple iPhone and iPad the top choices among affluent users – July 26, 2012
• Apps for Google Android make only 24% as much as same apps for Apple iOS devices – December 13, 2011
• Study: iPad users more likely to buy – and buy more – online than traditional PC users – September 29, 2011
• iPhone users smarter, richer, less conservative than Android phone users – August 16, 2011
• Apple iPhone users spend significantly more on their credit cards than non-iPhone users – November 5, 2010
• Study: Apple iPhone users richer, younger, more productive than other so-called ‘smartphone’ users – June 12, 2009
