"Day 1 Editions are designed to bring you our most innovative ideas faster. By choosing to participate, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute feedback that informs future product ideas and development."
So compared to for example Apple, they are taking a different approach with this product.
This is actually a pretty clever way to get early feedback on new ideas.
And the people who say "you have to pay for this stuff". Um yeah, that is the point. If nobody buys it.... maybe that is a clue there is no market for the idea (at least at that price point).
Neat! Too bad the discussion is about this particular device and not the actual program itself...
> Sounds like they're making people pay to be beta testers.
Kind of the point. If people aren't willing to part with their hard earned dollars for the device, maybe it won't be a market success and they should stop investing in it?
No one is being made to do anything, but if you want to be a beta tester, you have to actually buy the thing. They aren't giving it away for you to test with. And you have to be invited, apparently.
This product is part of Amazon's "Day One" program, which is largely stuff that they're throwing against the (shopping) wall to see if it sticks. It's like the Alexa Microwave...a shitty microwave that was intended as a reference design that became the best-selling microwave on Amazon.
Amazon is testing the waters for Alexa-integrated wearables. Not just earbuds, which are a saturated market, but other wearables like rings and frames.
If it does, the potential upside is huge--they could create an entire new market, like they did with the original Echo and Kindle. If not, it's a rounding error in an immaterial account on the financials.
I think it's more that Amazon has so much money that their version of market research looks much different than what you typically think of as market research.
Producing a new device, throwing it up on their website to sell, and seeing how well it does is Amazon's version of market research. It's "move fast and break things" brought into the hardware space. They actually even say as much in their description of the "Day 1 Editions" program, of which the Echo Loop is part of.
The "move fast and break things" motto doesn't mean actually "breaking" things. It means not being afraid of mistakes, because things that are "broken" or "wrong" can be fixed down the line.
In this case, Amazon is exhibiting not being afraid of releasing a possibly unsuccessful product, because they know they can iterate on it (or pivot, or exit entirely) later on.
Remember the failed phone? Half of these new echo devices likely will suffer the same fate. I can’t imagine wanting to speak to my hand or my glasses in public... looking completely insane while doing it.
So compared to for example Apple, they are taking a different approach with this product.