Amazon has discontinued its line of Dash buttons. The online retailer is no longer selling the physical Dash buttons, but will continue to support Dash buttons already out in the wild. Virtual Dash buttons look to be here to stay as well.
The Origin of Amazon Dash Buttons
For the uninitiated, Amazon Dash buttons are small physical buttons which can be used to reorder essential items. You would stick the Dash button to a surface, and then press it to reorder toilet rolls, washing detergent, cat food, or even condoms.
Amazon launched Dash buttons in 2015, and the timing of the launch (on March 31st) led many to wonder whether it was an April Fool’s Day joke. However, after that shaky start, Dash buttons caught on, and Amazon eventually introduced hundreds of different ones.
Amazon Kills Physical Dash Buttons
As first reported by CNET, Amazon has now stopped selling Dash buttons. The company has since confirmed the news, issuing a statement saying that “as of February 28” Amazon Dash buttons were “no longer available for purchase on Amazon globally”.
However, Amazon has assured customers that they can “continue to use their Dash Button devices”. So while no new Dash buttons are being shipped, ones already in use are still supported. Amazon is also keen to expand the “availability of virtual Dash Buttons”.
This could be due to a recent ruling in Germany that Amazon Dash buttons breached consumer protection laws due to fluctuations in pricing. Or perhaps Amazon feels that there’s simply no need for Dash buttons anymore thanks to people shopping using Alexa.
Amazon Shifts Focus From Dash Buttons
Whatever the reasons behind Amazon’s decision to “shift the Dash program focus” the physical buttons are no more. Which is kinda sad. Sure, they were a dumb idea to begin with, but they at least added a physical element to the online shopping experience.
Read the full article: Amazon Stops Selling Physical Dash Buttons
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