
A voice-activated microwave is a terrible idea and a pointless frivolity, a device which solves a problem almost no one had. Why trust your lying eyes? Amazonâs Basics microwave (with Alexa!) is no such bauble, and as silly a creation as it may appear, itâs the companyâs cutthroat business as usual.
What I can almost guaranteeâand what Amazon is most likely banking onâis that very few people will be buying Amazonâs food reheating box because of its voice assistant integration: Theyâll be picking it for the price. At $59.99, itâs cheaper than almost any other microwave on Amazonâs marketplace. And what do you know, searching âmicrowaveâ on the site turns up the Basics model as a sponsored result in the very first slot. (An EU probe is currently attempting to determine if Amazon uses seller data to give an unfair advantage to sales of its own products.)
Is the company selling this device below cost to push out the competition, as it so successfully did in the books market? The manufacturing cost isnât apparent, nor something Amazon was willing to comment on, but clearly itâs offered at a very competitive priceâone that not only squeezes sellers already on the platform, but seems positioned to capture dollars that could have been destined for Walmartâs coffers instead. Walmartâs customers, research shows, earn less than Amazonâs, though both companies are vying to expand their core demographics.
The microwave works just fine without voice controls. It never needs to be a metal box you shout âALEXA, REHEAT YESTERDAYâS PASTAâ at through a connected smart speaker. But once the Basics microwave is already bought (âIt was pretty cheap, and the reviews were good!â), thereâs considerably less friction to invest in an Alexa-powered speaker. Other smart home systemsâthe Philips Hue, Nest, or even the Ring smart doorbell (bought by Amazon for $1 billion)âcost anywhere from $80 to several hundred bucks. But weighed against the $50 Echo Dot, this unbelievably cheap microwave still costs more. The consumer arithmetic starts to look like a no-brainerâif a constant level of home surveillance doesnât make you a bit queasy.
I donât mean to suggest that the AmazonBasics microwave is a good thing for, uh, the microwave industry (??) or the state of Amazonâs stranglehold on ecommerce. Just that what on its face is a farcical creation is a remarkably considered, diabolical play on the part of a company known for being considered and diabolical. Speaking of: If you sign up for Amazonâs Store Cardâa credit card with a 27.74% APR, in case youâre keeping score at homeâthe microwave is essentially free, locking you further into the companyâs data and finance ecosystems.
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Did I mention the popcorn function is linked to a Dash button that reorders popcorn? Can we begin to see âfrictionlessâ as synonymous with âhelping part people faster from their hard-earned moneyâ?
Homeware essentials may not be a glamorous category to own, nor the most obvious to integrate with a voice assistant, but as long as Amazon wins on price itâs all part of the long game. With wages stagnant, most consumers wonât think twice about helping them win it, too, when it means a small savings in the short term.
As to what the plan is for that goddamn clock, thatâs anyoneâs best guess.
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