Audible Beta Launches New Service

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

One other thing breaking today: When the Echo Dot returns later this month it's coming in at $49.
http://the-digital-reader.com/2016/0...o-dot-twitter/

The two moves might be related, as a way to get more people exposed to audible.

Unfortunately, Audible Channels is not available on Amazon devices (Fire, Phone, Echo, etc). It only works with Android, iOS, and Windows Phone apps.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

One other thing breaking today: When the Echo Dot returns later this month it's coming in at $49.
http://the-digital-reader.com/2016/0...o-dot-twitter/

The two moves might be related, as a way to get more people exposed to audible.

Is there a precedent for these kind of things reliably coming to pass, or should you still be hedging with "allegedly" or the like?

I mean, if the tweet itself was in fact posted by mistake, mightn't the price also be a mistake (a mock-up for rejected marking proposal for example)?

And I must say, I'll be slightly ticked if this is the same Dot for nearly half the price offered in the first wave. Yeah, we got it early and got use it for the past few months, but, c'mon.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Unfortunately, Audible Channels is not available on Amazon devices (Fire, Phone, Echo, etc). It only works with Android, iOS, and Windows Phone apps.

Seriously? Isn't that sort of...bizarre? As in Bizzaro World, through the looking glass, mirror universe, exactly the opposite of what one would expect?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by ApK

Seriously? Isn't that sort of...bizarre? As in Bizzaro World, through the looking glass, mirror universe, exactly the opposite of what one would expect?

Yep, it's true.

But there is a workaround to get audiobooks from Channels to play on Echo devices. Start the book on an Android, iOS, or Windows device and then say "Alexa, read my book". Alexa will then start playing the last book listened to.

Of course, that's an extra step and requires another device; but it only needs to be done once. My Moto E works great for fetching these Channels books, plus it's a jim-dandy Echo remote.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by ApK

Seriously? Isn't that sort of...bizarre? As in Bizzaro World, through the looking glass, mirror universe, exactly the opposite of what one would expect?

My thoughts exactly. Why does Amazon require me to have a non-Amazon device to take advantage of an Amazon Prime perk? If they limited the perk to Amazon devices, THAT would make sense.

[tomsem]

It would be nice if Amazon would release an 'Audible Channels' app for Fire devices - which otherwise have no way of accessing them, given the limitations of its Audible player.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by ApK

Is there a precedent for these kind of things reliably coming to pass, or should you still be hedging with "allegedly" or the like?

I mean, if the tweet itself was in fact posted by mistake, mightn't the price also be a mistake (a mock-up for rejected marking proposal for example)?

And I must say, I'll be slightly ticked if this is the same Dot for nearly half the price offered in the first wave. Yeah, we got it early and got use it for the past few months, but, c'mon.

It could be a mistake, sure.
(They're doing a UK intro shortly so maybe they meant £49.)

But US$49 is far from impossible. After all, they sell a full tablet at that price and the FireTV stick for even less. A Dot has no screen, no camera, no battery, no remote control, and unlike the Echo, no sophisticated speaker system.

All they need is enough hardware to go online, a cheap speaker, and a ring of mikes.
It could also be a limited-duration re-introductory sale but I think it's the new base price because Amazon has been doubling down on rock bottom pricing. Remember, they just dropped the HD 8 tablet from $150 to $90. That was a 40% drop, roughly the same as taking DOT to $49.

Besides, think of all the free coverage they're getting from the "mistake".

[barryem]

Audible Channels is still new and I'm guessing they put it on Android and IOS first because that's where the big audience is. Hopefully it'll also come to their Fire devices in time.

Barry

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by barryem

Audible Channels is still new and I'm guessing they put it on Android and IOS first because that's where the big audience is. Hopefully it'll also come to their Fire devices in time.

Barry

There's more going on for sure:

http://www.aftvnews.com/amazon-rebra...azon-channels/

They just renamed the video add-on subscriptions as Amazon Channels. So there are Audible Channels on audio and Amazon Channels on Video. As the source says, these types of moves typically presage hardware moves. Cheaper DOT, new FireTVs, the rumored kitchen device, something. And quite possibly, a new Kindle or two. maybe a new Voyage. After all, fall is the "new toys" season: Sept-Nov.

[Catlady]

New Dot available for $50, October 20.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Catlady

New Dot available for $50, October 20.

Guess what? It only has a 90-day warranty. A 2-year warranty will cost you $10.

Amazon's new cheaper devices are only getting 90-day warranties. I don't like that.

90-Day Warranties

• $90 -- Fire HD 8 --> 2-year warranty = $20
• $50 -- Fire 7 Tab --> 2-year warranty = $18
• $50 -- Echo Dot --> 2-year warranty = $10

.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Catlady

New Dot available for $50, October 20.

That answers my question, I guess.

There's discussion in the dedicated Echo-related thread as well:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...16#post3392214

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by ApK

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...16#post3392214

ApK's right to point this out.

The topic for this thread is Audible Channels. Let's direct all further comments about the new Echo Dot to the dedicated Echo thread -- Amazon Echo Club. This will avoid fragmentation and the need to read multiple threads to find out information about it.

thanks, tm

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

ApK's right to point this out.

The topic for this thread is Audible Channels. Let's direct all further comments about the new Echo Dot to the dedicated Echo thread -- Amazon Echo Club. This will avoid fragmentation and the need to read multiple threads to find out information about it.

thanks, tm

Yup. DOT is only relevant as a way to access Audible and if it can't access the Channels...

Very odd.
But then, Audible is its own kingdom.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Yup. DOT is only relevant as a way to access Audible and if it can't access the Channels...

Very odd.
But then, Audible is its own kingdom.

Odd indeed. Amazon keeps pushing their devices as gateways into its vast content empire but then cripples them by not allowing access to certain features. Kinda boggles the mind.