BIG NEWS: Amazon members frustrated with a key product update
One of the best aspects of living in the 21st century is our ability to access millions of products with just a tap of a button, a swipe of a hand, the scan of a palm, or the tap of a credit card.
The Shift to Online Shopping
A significant shift in consumer shopping habits has taken place, in part due to retail giants like Amazon (AMZN), which have provided us with the convenience of ordering almost anything we need and receiving it the next day—sometimes even sooner. This change in our shopping patterns was accelerated by necessity, especially during the early 2020s when the Covid-19 pandemic spurred many traditional shoppers to adopt online shopping. Everything from groceries to pet supplies suddenly became accessible online, and with non-essential retailers closing their doors, we had to rethink how we made our purchases.
Now, nearly three-quarters of consumers prefer shopping online rather than in person, a considerable change compared to a decade ago.
Amazon’s Role in Promoting Online Convenience
Amazon has played a crucial role in introducing us to the convenience of online shopping and continues to enhance our experience with other innovative perks.
The company’s voice-enabled home assistant, Alexa, is now found in millions of households, with an estimated half a billion devices sold. In 2023, Amazon reported a 35% increase in household Alexa usage, according to Rohit Prasad, Amazon’s SVP for Alexa. Other popular Amazon products include Fire TV, which simplifies streaming across multiple services, and the Ring doorbell, which offers accessible home security. Millions of users rely on Amazon’s Blink or Ring devices to deter theft and provide peace of mind.
Kindle: A Long-Standing Amazon Favorite
One of Amazon’s most popular devices remains the Kindle e-reader, which revolutionized reading by providing a tablet-style experience with an anti-glare screen and the ability to store thousands of titles. Since its introduction in 2007, Amazon has sold approximately 500 million Kindle devices, giving it a market share of just under 70%.
Recent Kindle Updates Spark Controversy
Despite its long-standing popularity, recent Kindle software updates have frustrated many customers, with some arguing that Amazon has strayed too far from what once made the e-reader great. Michael Kozlowski of Good e-Reader notes that “quality and control of Kindle firmware development are at an all-time low.” He attributes this decline to a new generation of talent at Amazon, with many of the original executives and developers leaving or being laid off as the company faced financial losses.
Amazon’s latest 5.16.10.0.1 firmware update, released earlier this summer, has drawn criticism from users who report several unwelcome changes:
- Reading progress: Altered font
- Reading progress: Slower to update
- Reading progress: Affects margin sizing and page formatting
- Time display: Now shown in military time (without an option to change it)
Some users have also reported that their Kindle’s battery life has been negatively impacted by the update.
Customer Feedback and Concerns
User feedback on Reddit, Kindle forums, and tech websites has been overwhelmingly negative, with many expressing a preference for competing e-readers like the Kobo, a Canadian brand owned by Rakuten. Comments suggest that Kindle is “in a state of decline,” with updates that “break more than they fix,” leaving some long-time users considering switching to other devices.
Amazon has not yet responded to the complaints about the latest update but provides a brief description of the update and encourages users to share feedback through the “Contact Us” option under Settings on their Kindle device.
