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About this Amazon Echo Dot (5th gen) review: I tested the Amazon Echo Dot with Clock over a period of 7 days, and updated it to use the latest software available at the time. A unit was provided by Amazon for this review.
Update, May 2023: Noted Matter support going live in December 2023 for Android users, followed by iOS in May 2023.
Amazon Echo Dot (5th gen): $49.99 / £54.99 / €59.99
Amazon Echo Dot (5th gen) with Clock: $59.99 / £64.99 / €69.99
Amazon Echo Dot (5th gen) Kids: $59.99 / £64.99 / €69.99
The Clock version is a nice upgrade, but not essential unless you’re using it to wake up in the morning.
While it’s available on some other Echo devices via a software update, another notable feature is Eero Built-In, which lets the Echo Dot (5th gen) double as a Wi-Fi extender if you have an Eero mesh router. Despite having three Eero Pro 6Es, I was unable to test this as it was automatically disabled due to the proximity to a Pro 6E that would offer better signal quality. Given how good the coverage of an Eero mesh is by default, it seems like Eero Built-In is only going to be useful in a handful of edge cases, like extending Wi-Fi outdoors if you place a Dot in a shed or near a window, or if you only have a single router and want an affordable way of extending your network. Just don’t expect similar performance to the real thing; many users report speeds dropping by half when connecting to the mesh via the Dot.
It should also be noted that Amazon enabled the Dot as a Matter controller in December 2023. This let Android owners pair any Matter-branded accessory with Alexa, and iPhone/iPad support for Matter pairing was added in May 2023. It’s unlikely to get Thread networking like the 4th gen Echo, which is a shame, since the Dot now has integrated motion and temperature sensors like its bigger sibling.
The Amazon Echo Dot (5th gen) is available to buy from Amazon and other major retailers in North America, Europe, and other major markets. It comes in Charcoal (non-Clock version only), Deep Blue Sea, and Glacier White (pictured) colorways. There is also an Amazon Echo Dot (5th gen) Kids version with further parental controls and child-friendly features that comes in a Dragon or Owl design.
What I like about the Amazon Echo Dot (5th gen)
Roger Fingas / Android Authority
Audio quality has improved once again. The 4th gen Echo Dot was already decent-sounding for a budget speaker, but the 5th gen has superior audio thanks to extra bass as well as reduced distortion in its highs and vocals. Let’s be clear — it still isn’t going to compete with an Echo Studio or even the 4th gen Echo, but Amazon has improved the Dot to the point that some people might be legitimately happy using one as their only smart speaker.
As you might expect, the Dot slots neatly into an existing Alexa smart home. It’s extremely easy to set up — once you plug it in, all you have to do is open the Alexa app to the Devices tab and you’ll be guided through essential steps. You may, of course, want to change your speaker’s name and/or group associations. If you’re new to Alexa the process will take a little longer, since you’re going to be setting up preferences and linked services, but you might not have to touch the Alexa app again for weeks or months.
For a compact speaker, the Echo Dot (5th gen) can take up a lot of room.
Amazon has explained that it was waiting to deliver Matter and Thread simultaneously. Matter is now available on the Dot, but the 5th gen model seems unlikely to ever get Thread. If you’re building a smart home for the first time you might be better off buying a 4th gen Echo, or choosing an option from Apple or Google if you’re willing to commit to their ecosystems instead. Thread can be that much better than Wi-Fi for a smart home’s speed and reliability. Of course, if you don’t play on dabbling with Thread and are happy with a cheaper alternative, the Echo Dot (5th gen) will work just fine over Wi-Fi.
In fact, there’s really little else to complain about for a budget price tag, but it’s worth pointing out some of Alexa’s flaws. For some people, the omission of YouTube Music may be a deal-killer, as might the automatic collection of anonymous voice command history (you can turn this off). Also, Alexa still doesn’t support multiple commands in the same sentence like Google Assistant, or do as good a job at interpreting context.
The Echo Dot (5th gen) is pleasantly affordable, easy to set up and use, and has just enough fidelity to rock or chill out with.
This all makes the Echo Dot (5th gen) something of a Swiss Army knife. Really, the only people we’d actively steer away are audiophiles, most owners of the still-great 4th gen Dot, and those already invested in Apple or Google’s smart home ecosystems. As nice as the 5th gen Dot may be, it’s not such a dramatic leap that you should worry about holding on to the 4th gen for another year. For everyone else, it’s an easy recommendation.
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) with clock
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) with clock
Alexa assistance • Easy to set up • Motion and light sensors
MSRP: $49.99
An affordable smart home speaker with motion and temperature sensors
The Echo Dot (5th gen) is easy to set up, and the motion and temperature sensors give useful smart home possibilities.
See price at Amazon
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$0.99
Should I wait for the Amazon Echo (5th gen)?Eero says it extends range up to 1,000 square feet (about 93 square meters). Speed is limited to 100Mbps, however, and each Dot can only handle 10 simultaneous connections.
No. The Amazon Echo Dot with Clock will only show the time and simple contextual notifications, like a song name or weather forecast.
No. The only Echo with Atmos support is the Studio.
The Kids model comes decorated as an owl or a dragon, and is bundled with a year of Amazon Kids Plus content such as books and Alexa skills. Parental controls are also on by default, but it’s entirely possible to remove these if you want to use it as a regular speaker.
Yes. You can make free calls in the US, UK, Canada, or Mexico, and some mobile carriers support calling via your phone account. You can also make direct Alexa-to-Alexa calls if you know the recipient has a supporting device.
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Amazon Alexa The Holiday 2023 Star With “Millions” Of Echo Dot Sold
Amazon Alexa the holiday 2023 star with “millions” of Echo Dot sold
Amazon’s Alexa has stormed the holidays, with the voice assistant – and the Echo devices that embody her – a huge sales success at Christmas 2023. The Echo Dot, Amazon’s most affordable Alexa device, and the Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote were the retailer’s number one and number two top-selling products, respectively, Amazon confirmed today. That only underscored evidence from the Apple App Store suggesting Alexa had spread considerably on Christmas morning.
Signs that Echo had been a frequent discovery inside the gift wrap began midway through December 25. App Store download chart watchers spotted the Alexa companion app climbing in the most-downloaded list; the app is required to set up a voice-only Echo, Echo Dot, or Echo Plus, including logging into an Amazon account and teaching the smart speaker WiFi credentials.
Amazon, as always, isn’t sharing specific sales numbers. However, in an announcement today, the retailer said that it had sold “millions” of Echo Dot speakers alone. In fact, it was “the best-selling product from any manufacturer in any category across all of Amazon,” it confirmed.
Unsurprisingly, that wasn’t for altruistic reasons. Amazon’s goal is undoubtedly to get as many households as possible onboard the Alexa train, on the assumption that in doing so it’ll be in a stronger position to see off voice assistant rivals. In that sense, a cheap Echo Dot is a “gateway drug” that means owners are more likely to buy a second Alexa-powered device rather than pick a completely different smart speaker ecosystem.
That puts it head to head with Google, whose success with Google Home and the Google Home Mini seems to have trailed that of Echo. Again, Google hasn’t announced any numbers, but the Google Home app – which is required to set up the company’s Google Assistant powered smart speakers – is currently sitting at number six in Apple’s free app download chart. Google made a late push with discounts and bundles on the Google Home Mini in the run up to the holidays, but not to the same extent as Amazon pushed the Echo Dot.
Waiting in the wings, meanwhile, is Apple. The Cupertino firm conspicuously missed the holiday sales period with the HomePod, its own entrant into the smart speaker market. Apple has not given a specific reason for the delayed launch of the Siri-powered device, but is expected to focus on music performance, rather than smart home integration, when it finally does bring HomeKit to market in early 2023.
MORE Echo Spot Review
In the meantime, Amazon is still working hard to pitch Echo. The Echo Dot, and the recently released Echo Spot and Echo Buttons, are all currently out of stock, with new orders being placed in a queue. Sales for the Echo Dot were particularly popular on mobile, the company says, along with the Alexa-powered Fire TV Stick and the TP-Link Smart Plug that Amazon included as part of an Echo Spot smart home bundle.
Amazon Echo Show 8 (2Nd Gen, 2023) Review: Alexa’S Best Display Yet
Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen, 2023) Review: Alexa’s best display yet
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The pandemic has made clear that low-resolution webcams are only the tip of the video calling iceberg: in an ideal world we’d all have our own cameraperson to make sure the angles were perfect. That’s what Amazon’s Echo Show 8 (2nd Generation) promises, turning Alexa into your personal videographer but – to keep the new smart display to $130 – with no moving parts involved.
No aesthetic leaps have been made here; indeed you’d be forgiven for mistaking this new Echo Show 8 for its predecessor. The front has an 8-inch HD touchscreen that adjusts its colors automatically to the conditions of the room, while the back is covered in a fabric mesh. Behind that are a pair of 2-inch speakers.
At the top there are volume buttons and a dedicated microphone mute button – it lights up red, and a matching red bar appears along the bottom of the display, to make doubly clear that Alexa isn’t listening – plus a physical switch to cover the camera. That has a new 13-megapixel sensor with a 110-degree wide-angle lens, but if you’re feeling coy you can slide the privacy shutter across to block it. Hitting the microphone button also shuts off the camera, too.
Day to day, this is Alexa on a smart display as we’ve seen and generally enjoyed. There’s a simple interface for your smart home devices, like lights and thermostats; the ability to view certain brands of home security camera and video doorbell; and of course all of Alexa’s trivia, game, and other content. Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and other video streaming works on the screen, and you can you access music from various providers like Apple Music and Spotify. There’s no 3.5mm aux-in option, but you can directly pair a phone or other device via Bluetooth.
Audio quality is solid, though a dedicated speaker at the same price is going to sound a little better still. Nonetheless the usual pratfalls – like absent bass – are avoided, and there’s room-filling sound without needing to crank up to the very top of the volume slider. There’s definitely enough punch to hear things over the clatter of a busy kitchen, or indeed deal with video calls.
The latter is arguably the smart display’s big selling point here, or specifically the auto-follow feature. There are no moving parts in the new Echo Show 8. Instead, Amazon relies on subject-tracking and a mixture of digital crop and zoom to keep you centered in the frame. Turn auto-framing on, and as you move around the video will track to keep you centered. It’s only possibly because of the huge improvement in resolution over the first-generation Echo Show 8, which had a mere 1-megapixel camera.
An Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) has a larger, 10-inch display, plus of course it has Amazon’s trick rotating base. That means that, in theory, it can keep you in frame more effectively. The reality, though, depends very much on where your Echo Show is located.
Positioned on my desk, for example, there wasn’t really much further than I’d want to go to the left or right that the Echo Show 8 couldn’t keep me centered. Yes, if I moved all the way around to the side, the Echo Show 10 could follow me better then, but that’s not really reflective of how I’d practically use either smart display.
The same goes for in the kitchen. While I could, in theory, put the Echo Show 10 on an island in the middle, it would still need power and it’s more than a little obtrusive as it spins around there. An Echo Show 8 in the corner was just as happy keeping me in the shot, plus I didn’t have to worry about it fitting under the cabinets.
It’s also silent in operation – unlike the moving display’s faint motor hum as it turns – and the tracking itself is pretty solid, too. Sure, if you race across the frame you can outpace the auto-follow, but if you’re not actively trying to fool the system then it’s pretty resilient. Unlike talking to someone using Apple’s Center Stage on the latest iPad Pro, where the zooms and pans can be a little twitchy, Amazon’s system is a touch more laid back. Shifting around just slightly doesn’t instantly send it jostling to adjust. It’s not perfect, but after a short while you stop noticing the system in action and just get on with chatting, which is kind of the point after all.
If you need a little more adjustment, Amazon also offers an optional stand that helps tilt the Echo Show 8 around a little more. It’s $24.99 and could be useful if the smart display is on a lower shelf but you want to make video calls while standing up in front of it. Or, for that matter, if you’re using Alexa Guard to get notifications about the sound of breaking glass or smoke alarms, and want to make sure the Echo Show 8’s facing areas of particular interest. It’s worth noting that auto-framing doesn’t work when you access the smart display as a camera from the Alexa app: instead you just see the full view.
Amazon Alexa Voice Remote Pro Review
Pros
Rings to help you find it
Backlit buttons are great in the dark
Customisable buttons
Cons
Not rechargeable
Requires Echo or Alexa / Fire TV app
Almost as expensive as a Fire TV Stick
Our VerdictThe Alexa Voice Remote Pro is too expensive to recommend as a nice-to-have upgrade, but a decent choice if your old Fire TV remote is broken or lost
Best Prices Today: Amazon Alexa Voice Remote ProAmazon’s Fire TV remotes have steadily improved over the years, with extra buttons added for controlling TV volume and shortcuts to open popular apps.
The Voice Remote Pro is the company’s flagship remote with exclusive features including backlit keys, a ringer so you can track it down when it’s lost between the sofa cushions and a pair of customisable buttons that you can program to do a variety of things.
In the UK, it isn’t bundled with any of Amazon’s Fire TV devices – even its actual TVs. This means it’s an accessory – an option for anyone wanting to upgrade their standard remote to get the Pro’s features.
In the US, you can buy it as part of a bundle with a Fire TV Stick 4K or Fire TV Cube. Oddly, though, it’s supplied as a second remote with a Fire TV Stick 4K and it’s no cheaper (or wasn’t at the time of review) than buying the two products separately.
Features & design
Backlit keys
Find my remote
Customisable buttons
At a glance, there isn’t much to distinguish the Voice Remote Pro from the 3rd-gen Voice Remote. The design is very similar, as are its dimensions and weight.
Look closer, though, and you’ll spot a few new buttons. Top right is a headphone button. This brings up the Bluetooth devices panel on your Fire TV, making it fast to connect to paired Bluetooth headphones – or speakers – and to pair some new headphones.
Jim Martin / Foundry
It’s a good idea, too, as those settings are buried fairly deep in the Fire TV’s menus and using Bluetooth headphones means you’re not disturbing others while you watch. Conversely, using a Bluetooth speaker is a good alternative to buying a sound bar, improving upon your TV’s speakers and potentially making better use of a device you already have.
There’s also a combined up/down button which goes with the TV button. It’s for changing channel when watching live TV on your Fire TV, but like previous Alexa Voice Remotes, can also work with compatible TVs to change channel.
In fact, a lot of the buttons including volume and direction pad work with compatible devices. This means you can use the Voice Remote Pro to replace your TV or soundbar remote for the most common functions.
The Voice Remote Pro has two big draws: backlit keys for use in a dark room and a ringer which sounds when you ask Alexa to find your lost remote
Like any universal remote, there will always be device-specific buttons that you might miss, but when watching shows on the Fire TV specifically, being able to adjust volume without picking up a second remote is convenient.
What’s missing, and which makes the Voice Remote Pro less suitable as a TV remote replacement is the absence of the four coloured buttons – red, blue, green and yellow. And, of course, a number pad for entering channel numbers. The remotes that come with Amazon’s Fire TVs have these extra buttons, so the Voice Remote Pro could be considered a downgrade from those.
Jim Martin / Foundry
The Voice Remote Pro has two big draws: backlit keys for use in a dark room and a ringer which sounds when you ask Alexa to find your lost remote.
The bad news is that although it’s simple to say, “Alexa, find my remote”, you need a second device for that. An Amazon Echo will do, but you can use the Alexa app on your phone or the Fire TV app if you don’t have an Echo or another device with Alexa built in.
It works well, with the ringer sounding almost immediately after you ask Alexa. You need to press one of the remote’s buttons to silence the beeping, meaning you have to track it down and retrieve it first. (It didn’t work for me, but that’s because I already had two remotes set up with Alexa using Tile Stickers. I had to go into the Alexa app, find the Voice Remote Pro, rename it from “First Remote Control” to “Fire TV remote” and then say, “Alexa, find Fire TV remote”.)
Roku’s Voice Remote Pro (which isn’t compatible with Fire TV devices) does finding better. It uses its built-in microphone to listen out for “Hey Roku, find my remote”.
Amazon doesn’t do this, perhaps because the remote is powered by the usual pair of AA batteries rather than a rechargeable battery built into the remote, as is the case with Roku’s version.
Customisable buttonsAnother extra feature you get with the Alexa Voice Remote Pro is customisable buttons. Marked 1 and 2, you can set these to do a variety of different things.
Jim Martin / Foundry
Most people will probably choose to have them launch apps. There are already four buttons for Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Amazon Music (the latter being Hulu in the US) which aren’t customisable.
If you wanted to launch BBC iPlayer, Discovery+ or any other streaming service on a normal Alexa Voice remote, you’d need to press and hold the Alexa button and say “Alexa, open iPlayer”.
But with the Voice Remote Pro, you can set one of the two buttons to do that. It’s simple to do: just launch the app you want to assign then press and hold either 1 or 2. The app will be displayed in the list of options, so it’s just a case of selecting that.
Alternatively, you can choose other shortcuts such as the Guide, Watchlist, Notifications, My Stuff and Profiles.
The final option is to set the button to launch an Alexa command. You press and hold the Alexa button, say your command and wait until it completes. Then you press and hold the shortcut button and select that recent command from the list. Subsequently when you press the button, that command will be issued.
You could, therefore, use it to run an Alexa routine that sets up your room for watching a movie: dimming your smart lights and lowering a smart blind. Or, you could make it run your ‘Good night’ routine that might turn off all the lights, except your bedroom lamp, which is turned on.
Price & availabilityThe Alexa Voice Remote Pro costs $34.99 / £34.99 from Amazon. That $5 / £5 more than the 3rd-gen Voice Remote – surely money well spent – but both remotes are more expensive than you’d expect.
Roku’s Voice Remote Pro (again, not compatible with any Fire TV device) is cheaper at $29 from Amazon which suggests that Amazon could sell them cheaper if it wanted to.
Also, it’s impossible to ignore that you can buy a Fire TV Stick for $39.99 (£44.99 in the UK) which comes with the 3rd-gen Voice Remote. It’s hard to believe that the streaming stick itself accounts for only $10 of the total price.
In fact, there are lots of affordable streaming sticks and boxes that you can buy – if your reason for reading this is because you simply need a new remote for your Fire TV Stick.
VerdictIf your old Fire TV remote has stopped working, was eaten by the dog or permanently lost, the Alexa Voice Remote Pro is a good choice for a replacement.
It’s a shame that it doesn’t have a rechargeable battery, but as long as you already have an Echo in the house and don’t have to buy one just to use the ‘find my remote’ feature, it’s certainly handy to be able to ask Alexa to find it when you – inevitably – lose it.
But if the remote that came with your Fire TV is still very much present and working, it simply isn’t worth spending so much just to get the extra features that the Pro has.
Comparison: Apple Homepod Vs Google Home Vs Amazon Echo
Comparison: Apple HomePod Vs Google Home Vs Amazon Echo Apple HomePod Vs Google Home Vs Amazon Echo 1. Apple HomePod
Apple HomePad is one of the newest smart speakers among Google Home and Amazon echo. This device is set up with Siri and other Apple smart devices. This smart speaker was launched in the US back in 2023 and about to launch in India as well. HomePod comes with seven speakers(tweeter) and a dedicated woofer setup (for custom amplifier) as well. With the superior sound quality, you can command Siri from anywhere (like from a room or living area) and she will hear your voice commands. Some of the Pros and Cons of Apple HomePod are:
Built-in Apple Music integration
High fidelity audio quality
Apple’s focus on privacy
Compatible with HomeKit
Ambient Siri for digital assistant
Cons:
Only compatible with Apple devices
No Bluetooth compatibility
No Alexa or Google Assistant
Need to AirPlay other music streaming services
2. Google HomeOne of the most iconic smart speakers from Google. This device enables users to speak through voice commands to interact through Google Assistant. You can use this smart speaker in a house with third-party integrated service which allows users to control playback of photos and videos, listen to music or receive any new updates through Google Assistant. Google Home (Google Nest devices) has integrated support for home automation through which you can control your home appliances(smart) with your voice command. Some of the Pros and Cons of Google Home are:
Pros:
Can cast a video to your TV, identify differently voices, cast audio to multiple devices.
Supports Google Play Music and YouTube Music.
Ability to answer all questions and pretty good sound quality.
Customizable appearance and Aesthetic design.
Bluetooth audio streaming and works with Spotify accounts.
Cons:
Can’t read or send emails and messages.
Firmware and features updates are not available to all regions.
Lags in third-party support when compared to Amazon Echo.
Lacks physical buttons on the top of the device and doesn’t have an audio out port.
No intercom feature and doesn’t hear from a distance too.
3. Amazon EchoAmazon Echo (3rd Gen) is a highly affordable smart speaker as compare to Apple HomePod and Google Home. With decent audio quality and 360-degree speakers (Dolby-digital), Alexa is pretty capable in digital assistant and fully integrated with your Amazon account. This device is compatible with all smartphones and smart home devices like controlling your home smart lights, music streaming services, etc. Command Alexa to play music and tell her to play music from different music streaming services includes Apple and Amazon music, add items to your shopping list and many more. Some of the Pros and Cons of the Amazon Echo are:
Pros:
Integrates with your Amazon account
Compatible with iOS and Android
Works with Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, etc. with skills
Very affordable
Lets you call and message others
Cons:
Privacy concerns
Audio quality is not as good compared to HomePod and Google Home
Apple services are not built-in
Comparison TableApple HomePad Google Home Amazon Echo
Assistant Siri Google Assistant Alexa
Music Support Apple Music Google Play Music, Spotify Premium, YouTube Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn Amazon Music, Prime Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, Spotify Premium, Pandora, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Audible
Multi-room Yes with AirPlay 2 Yes with Chromecast Audio Yes, with multiple Echo speakers
Smart Home & third-party support Yes, through HomeKit only Yes Yes
Microphones 6 far-field +
1 low-frequency calibration microphone
2 far-field 7 far-field
Speakers 7x tweeter + woofer 2-inch driver + 2x 2-inch passive radiators 0.6-inch tweeter + 2.5-inch woofer
Connectivity Wi-Fi
(Bluetooth currently unknown)
Bluetooth & Wi-Fi Bluetooth & Wi-Fi
Dimensions and Weight 172 x 142mm
5.5lbs
142.8 x 96.4mm
1.05lbs
148 x 88mm
1.81lbs
Price $299 $99 $74.99
ConclusionSince the above three are best in smart speakers and I will go with Google Home(personally) as Google is better sounding and great compatibility with all smartphones despite these two (Apple HomePod and Amazon Echo). Google home is easily customizable and easy to use with Chromecast as well. If you want a decent one in terms of price and sound, then the Amazon Echo is best. And if you are very much concerned about the privacy, Apple HomePod will deliver beyond your expectations.
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Pranay Mathur
Nintendo Iphone And Android Games: Maybe, Maybe Not
Nintendo iPhone and Android games: maybe, maybe not
If there’s a way to clearly understand how Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata feels on expanding their business into the mobile smartphone universe through Android and the iPhone, the tech publishing world has yet to find it. Today we’re having a closer look at the transcript for Nintendo’s recent earnings call, specifically in the (translated) words of Iwata, attempting to decipher what the company really means to do in the near future with their characters, and if they’ll ever appear on non-Nintendo-made smartphones. Turns out he says yes, but he also says no, not a chance.
One thing is for certain – Iwata and the Nintendo board of directors want to expand the reach of Nintendo characters. This means that Nintendo’s licensing of Character IP – their likeness, the things that make them recognizable – will grow. Suggesting that they [Nintendo] “have been actively selling character merchandise for about a year in the U.S”, Iwata goes on to suggest that expansion will be “flexible”.
“Also, we will be flexible about forming licensing relationships in areas we did not license in the past, such as digital fields, provided we are not in direct competition and we can form win-win relationships.
By moving forward with such activities globally, we aim to increase consumer exposure to Nintendo characters by making them appear in places other than on video game platforms.” – Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata
As for releasing already-made Nintendo titles to mobile devices like the iPhone and Android smartphones and tablets – it’s not looking likely. Speaking rather directly on the matter, Iwata suggested that it’s simply not a smart approach to release Nintendo games on a platform that already has massive amounts of games and apps. Getting lost in that jungle isn’t something Nintendo wants to do.
Strangely – and here’s where things get a little confusing, Iwata also mentions that he has not restricted Nintendo’s developers on the possibility of “making games or using our game characters.” This seems quite different from the Microsoft approach with SmartGlass or the Sony approach with the PlayStation App, both of which offer engaging experiences, but no games directly. Could Iwata be speaking of integration of smartphone controls for games of the future?
“Having said that, however, in the current environment surrounding smart devices, we feel that we will not be able to gain the support of many consumers unless we are able to provide something truly valuable that is unique to Nintendo. Accordingly, I have not given any restrictions to the development team, even not ruling out the possibility of making games or using our game characters.” – Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata
If that seems quite clear on how Iwata expects Nintendo expand games to the mobile platform, the next line should, once again, throw you for a bit of a wallop in the opposite direction.
“However, if you report that we will release Mario on smart devices, it would be a completely misleading statement.” – Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata
This full reported transcript we’re working with today also has Iwata suggesting that it’s with apps – or just an ecosystem inside apps – that connect the user to Nintendo that the company will maintain control over their network of characters and machines.
Above you’ll find one of two presentation slides shown by Iwata during his presentation on the 30th of January, 2014. This slide shows how Nintendo has found a break in the dedication shown by Nintendo device owners with the release of the newest wave of hardware. The new consoles do not appear to have been purchased by owners of the old consoles, the same being true of the newest handheld devices.
With smart devices – smartphones and tablets – Nintendo will attempt to keep users in the fold with Nintendo Network IDs, aka NNID. With a smart device in a manner much closer to the PlayStation App or Microsoft SmartGlass, we’ll see Nintendo keep a leash, in a manner of speaking, on their users.
Finally there’s a bit tacked on by the Nikkei news source this week that we’re still speaking with Nintendo to get a direct response about. While the news group suggests they’ve interviewed Iwata this week, they’ve very recently been a bit misleading with how they’ve gotten their news breaks on Nintendo specifically – so we must direct you to Nintendo Games Denied: Nikkei Mix-up before you go any further.
Nikkei reported this week that they’d had an interview separate from the main set of Iwata announcements this past week, suggesting that Iwata spoke directly with them about some points that’d change the way Nintendo operates in a big way.
We should abandon old assumptions about our businesses. We are considering M&As as an option. For this reason, we’ll step up share buybacks.” – Iwata to Nikkei
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