Back when the Amazon Dash Buttons launched in 2015, the idea of simply pressing a button to reorder routinely purchased home goods seemed novel. In the time since, the entire online shopping scheme has changed. The Echo lineup catapulted voice-based shopping into the norm and the social stigma against buying from online stores has largely gone faded. Now as the four-year anniversary of device’s launch approaches, Amazon has stopped selling its Dash Buttons.
The Dash Button has been on of Amazon’s stranger product releases. Arriving on April 1st in 2015, many first chalked the unveil up to being a corporate April Fools’ joke. As one of the company’s first attempts to convince online shopping-holdouts of the benefits of Amazon, the Dash Button wasn’t a total flop, at first.
Amazon Dash Buttons’ initial success
As time passed since the device’s launch, the Dash Buttons faded from the public eye became far less of a popular product than Amazon probably imagined. One of the biggest perks was that each of them included a free $5 credit towards a future Amazon purchase. That, paired with frequent discounts and promotions kept the buttons alive in Amazon’s shopping zeitgeist. Now Amazon has ceased selling its Dash Buttons.
Outside of the buttons’ initial, gimmicky appeal, the trend of one-touch ordering never really caught on. A large portion of that can be chalked up to how easy it is to place orders with our phones or even Echo devices. Many appliances also began directly integrating Amazon’s Dash replenishment tech, replacing the need of a separate button. Even Amazon’s own AmazonBasics Microwave can automatically reorder popcorn.
Sure Amazon’s Dash Buttons can no longer be found on the company’s marketplace, but the gadgets do live on in software form. Pretty much any product found on Amazon can be turned into a virtual button. There’s no indication that Amazon will be completely turning the lights off on Dash Button users. So there’s no immediate peril for those reliant on the devices for ordering laundry detergent, or whatever else.
9to5Toys’ Take: Eulogy for a fallen IoT device
Quickly after the Dash Buttons hit the market, tinkerers began repurposing the shopping button into smart home remotes. That was about as far from Amazon’s original intention as can be. So far it seems that most mourners of the Dash Button fall into the smart home enthusiast demographic; something that’s very telling of gadget’s reputation.
Amazon is still selling its IOT-branded Dash Button, giving at least a slight indication that it recognized the device’s smart home potential. While the free $5 credits will be missed, Amazon’s Dash Buttons leave behind a pretty underwhelming legacy; one that very few are likely to miss.
Source: CNET
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