Amazon (AMZN) Fire Catches Ire of Consumers
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Despite achieving early sales success, the Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) Kindle Fire tablet is showing some flaws which have customers fuming.
According to the NY Times, some of the customer complaints include a power switch that's too easy to hit by mistake, no privacy feature, slow webpage loading, and no external volume control.
Amazon is working on doing an over-the-air update on the system, and some speculate a new device will be introduced sometime in the spring of 2012, in-line with the launch of Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) new iPad.
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, also a prominent Apple analyst, has been tracking reviews and ratings on Amazon's Kindle Fire site, reports the Times. Since November 18th, Munster says five-star reviews have fallen from 50 percent to 47 percent, while one-star ratings held firm at about 13 percent.
Munster said he expected things to be worse at this point.
Another blogger cited by the Times said the Fire was doomed. Although shopping on Amazon.com is a breeze, doing things like loading websites not specifically designed for a 7-inch tablet bogs down performance. He believes Amazon has one more shot with it's newest model, or else the entire project might get scrapped.
Amazon has said the Fire is the best-selling Kindle yet, though specific figures haven't been released. Analysts expect 3 to 5 million to be sold by the end of 2011
Shares of Amazon are 1.5 percent lower Monday.
According to the NY Times, some of the customer complaints include a power switch that's too easy to hit by mistake, no privacy feature, slow webpage loading, and no external volume control.
Amazon is working on doing an over-the-air update on the system, and some speculate a new device will be introduced sometime in the spring of 2012, in-line with the launch of Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) new iPad.
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, also a prominent Apple analyst, has been tracking reviews and ratings on Amazon's Kindle Fire site, reports the Times. Since November 18th, Munster says five-star reviews have fallen from 50 percent to 47 percent, while one-star ratings held firm at about 13 percent.
Munster said he expected things to be worse at this point.
Another blogger cited by the Times said the Fire was doomed. Although shopping on Amazon.com is a breeze, doing things like loading websites not specifically designed for a 7-inch tablet bogs down performance. He believes Amazon has one more shot with it's newest model, or else the entire project might get scrapped.
Amazon has said the Fire is the best-selling Kindle yet, though specific figures haven't been released. Analysts expect 3 to 5 million to be sold by the end of 2011
Shares of Amazon are 1.5 percent lower Monday.
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