At any time when there’s a problem or loads of unfavorable opinions surrounding a brand new Kindle or a Kindle-related product, Amazon places up a “We Need You To Know” disclaimer on their web site.
This has occurred a number of occasions through the years, and now Amazon has two “We Need You To Know” warnings on their web site relating to the brand new Kindles for 2024, and a kind of warnings changed a earlier warning so there’s truly three.
The Kindle Colorsoft is getting flamed by reviewers at Amazon due to the frontlight challenge. It has a 2.7-star score with almost 1500 opinions. Earlier than that hit, there was a “We Need You To Know” warning in regards to the Colorsoft not supporting full darkish mode, however I assume they don’t wish to have two disclaimers up on the similar time.
Additionally they not too long ago added a disclaimer to the product web page for the overpriced premium leather-based cowl for the brand new Paperwhite and Colorsoft, which has a 3.6-star score with 113 opinions. There are loads of complaints in regards to the cowl scratching simply, so Amazon added the next disclaimer:
Our Premium Leather-based Cowl develops a pure patina and should mark with use. It arrives with an genuine scent from the leather-based tanning course of. These traits are regular for high-quality leather-based and guarantee your cowl tells your one-of-a-kind studying journey.
The advertising spin they placed on that’s good for amusing. It’s speculated to be like that!
Amazon is unusually straightforward to affect beneath sure circumstances, and in the event that they get too many complaints they may simply pull a product solely, like they did with the official covers for the Kindle Oasis 2, so folks ought to be cautious earlier than making too massive of a deal out of one thing.
Most individuals in all probability don’t know or bear in mind, however after Amazon launched the Kindle Oasis 2 in 2017, the opinions for Amazon’s official covers have been so scathing that they stopped promoting them. They then discontinued them and began recommending third-party covers as a substitute.
It was bizarre, particularly contemplating there actually wasn’t something incorrect with the covers. Individuals simply didn’t like how they didn’t cowl the complete again, and a few complained about how the magnet that held the duvet on wasn’t robust sufficient. I truly actually favored these covers as a result of they weren’t cumbersome they usually have been straightforward to take away (they have been designed to be eliminated whereas studying, however for some purpose folks didn’t like that concept), and I used to be shocked when Amazon discontinued them a couple of weeks after they have been launched.
Just a few months later Amazon launched redesigned covers for the Kindle Oasis 2 that coated the complete again and weren’t meant to be eliminated whereas studying like the unique covers. The Kindle Oasis was designed to have these unique magnetic covers that match the distinctive contour on the again so bailing on that concept solely after only a few weeks was shocking. Then once they launched the Oasis 3 with the identical precise design, they eliminated the magnets on the again since they did away with the magnetic cowl idea. Personally, I favored the concept and need they’d’ve caught with it.
I can’t assist however surprise if the oldsters in command of Kindles are regretting releasing the Kindle Colorsoft proper now like they did the magnetic covers for the Oasis. It’s going to be actually onerous to dig out of a 2.7-star score at this level.
The humorous factor is, other than the frontlight challenge, I feel the Kindle Colorsoft is the most effective coloration ereader on the present market. Amazon did a greater job than their competitors by way of coloration/display screen high quality and software program optimization to reduce ghosting, however all of the unfavorable opinions in regards to the frontlight make it appear to be the Colorsoft is the worst coloration ereader available on the market.
I can’t assist however suppose that Amazon is getting what they deserve. Once they determined to cost the Colorsoft on the high of the colour E Ink market, after which did not ship on correct high quality management of the frontlight, it set issues up controversy.
There’s all the time going to be some degree of controvery with coloration E Ink due to the actual fact there are some notable drawbacks in comparison with common black and white E Ink screens. Amazon ought to have anticipated there could be some negativity anyway, however placing a value of $279 on a first-gen coloration system simply compounded issues.
Different corporations solely cost $20-$30 extra for his or her coloration ereaders, however Amazon determined to cost $80 extra for the Colorsoft, and to make issues worse the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Version is at present on sale for Black Friday for less than $155. How can Amazon anticipate folks to pay $125 extra for the Colorsoft proper now with all of the unfavorable opinions? They’re setting the Colorsoft up for failure. It doesn’t matter what number of disclaimers they placed on the product web page now.
