Amazon slashes mobe prices to get more eyes on lockscreen ads

Amazon has slashed the cost of its mobile handsets in return for customers eyeballing more personalised spam – its latest attempt to foist more e-commerce tat on consumers. The deal is open to Amazon Prime members who will have to sign up to "personalized offers and ads displayed on the phone's lockscreen." Customers will be …

[Joe Drunk]

Lockscreen ads / Notification ads = Pox on Android

I was introduced to tiny banner ads in some apps in my first Android handset. Unobtrusive, sometimes annoying, able to live with.

The greed factor kicked in. Ads interrupting you with unwanted notifications and now worse, full screen ads displayed as soon as you look at your phone on the lockscreen. Ads forced down your throat.

I don't install any apps that use these tactics nor will I ever purchase an Amazon device now that I know it comes bundled with this garbage.

[Vector]

Re: Lockscreen ads / Notification ads = Pox on Android

My policy is as soon as an app pops a notification that I consider inappropriate, that app loses notification privileges. It started with games ("come back and play me!"), then media apps started chiming in ("We've got a new show you simply must see!"). All of them have been notification silenced on my devices.

[404]

Re: Lockscreen ads / Notification ads = Pox on Android

There was this person I knew who liked playing Clash of Clans on his Android cell phone, but wanted a larger screen. That man did his research and found that despite Amazon's bastardization of Android, certain Fire HD tablets could be rooted and a vanilla Android rom could be installed. So he purchased several refurbished Fire HD's on special for $59/ea. at Amazon one day. I hear he's still playing Clash of Clans...

[Anonymous Coward]

Take the discount. Block the ads. And don't feel even the least bit bad about it.

[AndyS]

Absolutely. Moto G, certainly, is extremely easy to root. So this just looks like a £50 discount for people who want a rooted phone. Nice!

[Anonymous Coward]

as long as you want to roll the dice on amazon logistics not just stealing your parcel.

[Dabooka]

Who's going to bother with that?

Seriously, for a handset that's shy of 80 quid anyway why bother with the discount (and yes I appreciate it's a large percentage)?

Especially for those who may purchase 'personal' accessories on Amazon, can you imagine the targeted ads for the new 12" Arsenator strap on cock popping up when you're at the vicars for afternoon tea?

Actually thinking about it I need to find someone who signs up to this and have some fun with their searches on Amazon.....

['s water music]

Re: Who's going to bother with that?

Especially for those who may purchase 'personal' accessories on Amazon, can you imagine the targeted ads for the new 12" Arsenator strap on cock popping up when you're at the vicars for afternoon tea?

Well I simply use a separate Amazon account for my more intimate purchases. Doesn't everyone? Plus, the vicar would be disappointed if my new 12" Arsenator strap on cock didn't pop up at tea time.

My face when it does --->

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Who's going to bother with that?

The same people who sign up for Pandora for free and take the ads rather than pay for it and avoid all the ads.

[Vector]

Re: Who's going to bother with that?

"...people who sign up for Pandora for free and take the ads..."

I don't mind Pandora's ads since I start the app and put it in the background (bye bye ads!). As to notification ads, see my post above. Pandora is one of the apps that doesn't get to display notifications on my phone.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Who's going to bother with that?

And if they put audio ads in between the songs, like radio?

[James 51]

It's a pity that the Blackberry Passport SE isn't in this offer given Blackberry have stuck Amazon apps on their phones. Of course then I'd use an autoloader to get rid of it afterwards.

[Anonymous Coward]

I wouldn't take one

even if they offered it for free. Unless there was a relatively simple way to root it!

But hey, I'm sure there's plenty of "premium" users to scramble for their deal :)

[AndyS]

Re: I wouldn't take one

Moto G is very simple to root. Don't know about the other handsets being offered.

[Derichleau]

Watch out when doing business with non-UK data controllers

This really irks me because if Amazon.co.uk - a UK facing website, were a UK data controller, then we could just do away with nonsense like this. Under UK law we can opt out of all marketing under section 11 of the DPA. There's nothing that a UK data controller can do to negate this statutory right. In which case, Amazon wouldn't be able to make offers like this because UK organisations cannot make the receipt of direct marketing a condition of doing business with them.

[0laf]

If the ads are no worse than what you get on a Fire Tab I'd take the discount. You only see them before you unlock the device. I hardly notice them.

[Goldmember]

Yep, same. I have the screen lock ad-supported Kindle Paperwhite (£90 on one of the Deal days last year). Just swipe to unlock and the ads are gone. I couldn't even tell you which ads have been displayed on there since buying it. Would definitely take the discount.

[Jay 2]

"Customers love the freedom of unlocked phones"

Usually as an unlocked phone is not tied to a carrier and therefore may not have all their unless branded crap all over it.

[Anonymous Coward]

What's the true cost of a Moto G on this

AFTER allowing for a twelvemonth of Amazon Prime rubbish?

[Alex Wilson]

Re: What's the true cost of a Moto G on this

Sign up for a months trial, order phone and anything else you need. Root phone and change rom or just block adds. Cancel trial... Job done.

[Anonymous Coward]

fuck Amazon and Android

nuff said

[Anonymous Coward]

Does Google allow this for Android?

I know Amazon can do it since they have de-Googlified their Android, but could say Samsung offer a discounted S7 that had lock screen ads or do Google's TOS prevent it?

[YumDogfood]

It is not the ads...

I live in Murica now and ads wash off me like a greased ducks back in a hypersonic wind tunnel. If I went back to Blighty and Tesco were handing out free gold bars, I'd be switched on cynical and wondering what angle they are playing.

It is the trickle of my limited Internets data allowance that irks. THAT. Bugger the tracking reasons because you ain't getting away from that anyhow.