Amazon will let customers decide what tech it develops next

Amazon will allow its customers to decide which tech products the company will build next by showcasing a selection of potential devices in a style similar to the likes of Kickstarter.

This is part of a new Day 1 Editions programme titled Build It, which lets Amazon customers have a greater say in what should be the tech giant’s next area of development based on potential demand.

Build It products will have 30 days to reach their pre-order goal and, if it’s met, Amazon will start building the products and ship them to backers when completed. The pre-order price will also be cheaper than the final retail price, the company has confirmed.

An Amazon spokesperson told IT Pro that “if a concept doesn’t reach its pre-order goal it will not be built and customers will not be charged”.

“If we don’t see sufficient customer interest in a concept, we won’t build it. We will, however, build at least one concept from this first wave, based on pre-orders,” they said.

However, they added that the Build It programme will be limited to Amazon’s US customers.

As part of the first wave of proposed products, the company unveiled a voice-controlled sticky note printer, a food scale which can measure portions based on nutrition value, and a modern iteration of a cuckoo clock with built-in speakers for timers and an alarm.

For now, the sticky note printer seems to be the most popular option, having already achieved 52% of its pre-order goal despite all three potential products only being announced yesterday. Customers were also not put off by the high price point – at $89.99 (£64.59), it is more expensive than the $34.99 smart food scale and $79.99 cuckoo clock, which are currently tied at 23%.