Please note that all submissions to the site are subject to the wiki's licence, CC 4.0 BY-SA, as found here
Amazon PhotosPlus Discontinuation: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
Changed some wording, added a link to retroactively amended purchase |
||
| 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 25GB of Amazon Photos storage, and cost $2 per month. Announced<ref>[https://www.pocket-lint.com/what-is-amazon-photosplus/ What is Amazon PhotosPlus]</ref> in October 2023, Amazon sent an email informing its users that they were discontinuing<ref>[https://www.threads.net/@wheelsee/post/C-58LrqSbYW?xmt=AQGzdSySswLxRPEtQdHvzY0PMn5k0eXCG2lzMqmc0irZoIQ Email sent to all PhotosPlus users informing them of the cancellation of the service]</ref> the service, cancelling it on September 12, 2024. | 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 25GB of Amazon Photos storage, and cost $2 per month. Announced<ref>[https://www.pocket-lint.com/what-is-amazon-photosplus/ What is Amazon PhotosPlus]</ref> in October 2023, Amazon sent an email informing its users that they were discontinuing<ref>[https://www.threads.net/@wheelsee/post/C-58LrqSbYW?xmt=AQGzdSySswLxRPEtQdHvzY0PMn5k0eXCG2lzMqmc0irZoIQ Email sent to all PhotosPlus users informing them of the cancellation of the service]</ref> the service, cancelling it on September 12, 2024. This discontinuation has been described as an example of a [[retroactively amended purchase]]. | ||
== Product History == | == Product History == | ||
| Line 16: | Line 16: | ||
== Impact == | == Impact == | ||
=== Customer Response === | === Customer Response === | ||
The discontinuation caused | The discontinuation caused substantial customer backlash<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/amazonecho/comments/1ex6ar4/amazon_discontinuing_the_photos_part_of_the_echo/ Reddit discussion of PhotosPlus discontinuation]</ref>, particularly because: | ||
* Customers paid a premium ($10) for hardware that would lose its primary distinguishing feature of avoiding ads | * Customers paid a premium ($10) for hardware that would lose its primary distinguishing feature of avoiding ads | ||
* The product lifecycle was less than one year | * The product lifecycle was less than one year | ||
| Line 27: | Line 27: | ||
* Accessing photos through Settings > Clock & Photo Display | * Accessing photos through Settings > Clock & Photo Display | ||
While users kept access to their 25GB of Amazon Photos storage, the devices defaulted to showing ads & promotions after three hours of photo display, which removed the primary reason customers chose the Photos Edition variant | While users kept access to their 25GB of Amazon Photos storage, the devices defaulted to showing ads & promotions after three hours of photo display, which removed the primary reason customers chose the Photos Edition variant. | ||
== References == | == References == | ||
Revision as of 00:13, 18 January 2025
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 25GB of Amazon Photos storage, and cost $2 per month. Announced[1] in October 2023, Amazon sent an email informing its users that they were discontinuing[2] the service, cancelling it on September 12, 2024. This discontinuation has been described as an example of a retroactively amended purchase.
Product History
The Amazon Echo Show 8 was a Digital Frame, launched at $149.99. For $10 more, you could get the Amazon Echo Show 8 Photos Edition, which included 6 months of PhotosPlus and the ability to display your photos as the "primary" content. Amazon spokesperson Courtney Ramirez[3] confirmed that "Occasionally, Alexa will provide content suggestions based on a customer's interest. However, photos will remain the primary content."
Features
The Photos Edition with PhotosPlus subscription offered several specific features that made it stand out:
- Photos would rotate every 30 seconds indefinitely
- Photos remained primary content without switching to advertisements
- 25GB of Amazon Photos storage included w/ subscription
- Ability to remotely add new photos to the device
Discontinuation
In March 2024, Amazon discontinued the sale of the Echo Show 8 Photos Edition hardware[4]. Five months later, in August 2024, Amazon announced the end of the PhotosPlus subscription service. After they cancelled PhotosPlus Service, the Amazon Echo Show 8 Photos Edition became functionally identical[5] to the standard Amazon Echo Show 8, with users forced to view advertisements and promotional content after three hours of photo display.
Impact
Customer Response
The discontinuation caused substantial customer backlash[6], particularly because:
- Customers paid a premium ($10) for hardware that would lose its primary distinguishing feature of avoiding ads
- The product lifecycle was less than one year
- No refunds or compensation were offered for the hardware premium
- No alternative was provided for viewers wanting to avoid ads on their photo display
Workarounds
After discontinuation, Amazon suggested two alternatives for photo display, neither of which replicated the original functionality:
- Using the standard photo frame feature by saying "Alexa, start Photo Frame"
- Accessing photos through Settings > Clock & Photo Display
While users kept access to their 25GB of Amazon Photos storage, the devices defaulted to showing ads & promotions after three hours of photo display, which removed the primary reason customers chose the Photos Edition variant.
References
- ↑ What is Amazon PhotosPlus
- ↑ Email sent to all PhotosPlus users informing them of the cancellation of the service
- ↑ Amazon Echo Show 8
- ↑ The Verge: Amazon cancels the Echo Show 8 Photos Edition's main feature
- ↑ Effects of cancellation of the PhotosPlus Service on Amazon Echo Show 8 Photos Edition customers
- ↑ Reddit discussion of PhotosPlus discontinuation
