Skip to main content

Amazon takes its press-to-order Dash button to the U.K., Germany, and Austria

amazon dash uk
Amazon
Amazon is now offering its press-to-order Dash button to consumers in the U.K., Germany, and Austria, marking its first expansion outside of the U.S.

The diminutive device launched last year, giving Prime members a super-simple way of ordering everyday household items such as toilet roll and washing powder at the press of a button.

The e-commerce giant, clearly intent on becoming everyone’s one-stop shop for absolutely everything, is offering the internet-connected buttons for around 40 brands at launch, among them Ariel washing powder, Kleenex tissues, and Huggies diapers, or “nappies” as the Brits like to call them.

Each button costs £5, though they’re essentially free as you receive that amount as a discount with your first order.

For those not in the know, here’s how Amazon’s Dash buttons work: You simply buy a Dash button for a product you use regularly, set it up via the Amazon app, stick it in a location close to where you keep that product, and press it when you need it. Your order should turn up within 24 hours.

A notification is sent to your smartphone each time you place an order, a feature that should prove especially useful if you’ve a littl’un running about the place who likes to push, pull, prod, and, importantly, press everything in their path.

Amazon has never given specific figures for how many of its Prime members are using its Dash buttons. However, research published by Slice Intelligence in March suggested that 50 percent of those who bought the device are yet to actually place an order with it, indicating that for many the press-to-order habit hasn’t quite taken hold yet.

The Seattle-based company is also launching its Dash Replenishment service in the same three countries. This allows manufacturers of connected devices to fit their machines with the same kind of technology as the buttons so orders for new supplies can be automatically placed when the device detects they’re running low. Think coffee, printer ink, and water filters.

By making shopping for everyday stuff as simple as pressing a button, Amazon hopes its super-convenient system will score it even more sales as customers place orders pretty much without even thinking about it.

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
All about the money: The U.K. had no choice but to use Huawei in its 5G networks
Huawei flagship at AT&T

Chinese technology mega-company Huawei will be one of the suppliers building the U.K.’s 5G networks. The decision follows lengthy delays, much indecision, and considerable pressure on Britain from the U.S. government to not use the firm’s telecom equipment at all.

The decision is hardly a shock, and neither is the middle-ground stance the government has taken. Huawei is the world leader in 5G infrastructure, and has worked with the U.K. on its networks for 15 years. But what about the supposed security implications of using Huawei's equipment, and the risk of angering U.S. President Donald Trump, who claims Huawei is a conduit for the Chinese government, and that including its equipment opens the door to spying and potentially even cyberattacks?

Read more
Mobvoi’s connected Ticwatch Pro 4G LTE takes on Apple and Samsung in the U.K.
mobvoi ticwatch pro 4glte review 4g lte 21

The Mobvoi Ticwatch Pro 4G LTE is one of the few WearOS smartwatches available with a cellular connection, and until now it has only been available with Verizon in the United States. But that has now changed. The Ticwatch Pro 4G LTE has launched on the Vodafone network in the United Kingdom, where it operates with the OneNumber plan, so all your connected devices work together.

Currently, the Ticwatch Pro 4G LTE is not listed on Vodafone’s website, but is for sale through Mobvoi itself and on Amazon, where it costs 250 British pounds. In the U.S., the Ticwatch Pro 4G LTE costs $240 at the time of writing. Provided you use Vodafone for your smartphone connection and have a Red Plan tariff, the Ticwatch Pro 4G can be added to it for a small monthly fee using OneNumber.

Read more
TCL starts taking pre-orders for its 4K HDR QLED 8-Series Roku TVs
tcl 8 series 4k hdr qled roku tv pre orders angle

When it comes to packing the latest technology into an affordable TV, few brands can compete with TCL. That reputation gains even more traction now that the company has opened up pre-orders for its 4K HDR QLED 8-Series Roku TVs. Available in both 65-inch ($2,000) and 75-inch ($3,000) sizes, these models are currently a Best Buy exclusive. Deliveries will happen by mid-November according to Best Buy.

The 8-Series list of features reads like a glossary of the latest audio and video standards. It's Dolby Vision-compatible for a truly outstanding HDR display and it also supports Dolby Atmos sound for an equally immersive audio experience. As a Roku TV, it benefits from the simplicity of the operating systems and a huge variety of streaming services.

Read more