BY: Jordan Ellison
In wake of the new iPhone 6 release, competitor Amazon fires back a shot of their own with the release of the Amazon Fire Stick. As a follow up product to Fire TV, (which was released by Amazon earlier this year) the Amazon Fire Stick will allow consumers to stream internet video services onto the television. In competition with the Google Chromecast and Apple TV, Amazon plans to surpass the 20 percent consumer sales accumulated by Apple last quarter. This will not be an easy task considering Amazon has had troubles persuading consumers to purchase their products in the past. Equip with a remote control and a USB adaptor capable of streaming internet services to the television, Amazon might very well increase sales. Being portable, easy to set up, and inexpensive the Amazon Fire Stick may catch the attention target consumers.
Some gadget geeks may be bombarded by the influx of technological releases in the past year but Amazon plans on marketing more of there devices. Amazon considers their digital devices to be a top priority in efforts to sell more digital content to customers. By releasing the Fire Stick, Amazon plans to shift the demand, causing consumers to deviate from buying media boxes to cheaper streaming sticks such as the Amazon Fire Stick. In this shift Amazon hopes that consumers will invest more attention into there products.
With Amazon making a power play, this move is most likely to affect rival competitor Roku. As one of the most popular streaming brands, Roku relies heavily on its streaming devices for quarterly sales. Thus, with Amazon marking its devices down at competitive prices it might be tough for Roku to keep its reign. Recently, Roku has debated raising an estimated $150 million in public offering. But until then Amazon is offering a discounted rate of $19 dollars for the Amazon Fire Stick, a $20 mark down from the original price. While the Amazon Fire Stick allows the consumer to access streaming outlets such as Netflix, Hulu, and WatchESPN consumers may take a liking to the newly released device.
Making the switch from the original cable provider is becoming easier than ever. With new ways to watch television like the fire stick cable companies are sure to be adjusting their cable and internet service plans accordingly. I do see some potential issue in purchasing the Fire Stick. After having the stick one may still have to sign up for memberships for other television services. Multiple bills may become a hassle.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and great move for amazon as the online entertainment industry is booming and will be the new best thing for consumers. Many people are doing away with cable TV and relying on Hulu and Netflix for their entertainment. Amazon bundling these services and offering them for a low price is great for consumers. Also having the ability to take the stick with you anywhere in the world and attach it to any device is a great feature.
ReplyDeleteSeems to me that it all depends to an extent on what sort of ancillary devices and services you own or use. If you’re an iOS user and/or invested in iTunes, there’s a strong argument for the Apple TV because nothing else supports iTunes or AirPlay. Likewise, if you’re a Kindle Fire user and find the second-screen angle appealing, there’s a very strong argument for Fire TV. And if you don’t really care about device-partnering and you prefer to hop around services such as Netflix or Hulu, the Roku 3 should be at the top of your buy list. Being a major ITunes and IOS user, Apple TV would be the best fit for me.
ReplyDeleteIn wake of the new iPhone 6 release, competitor Amazon fires back a shot of their own with the release of the Amazon Fire Stick. As a follow up ... ifirestick.blogspot.com
ReplyDelete