Amazon retiring its plastic Dash buttons

Amazon is focusing more on the virtual and voice-powered reordering on its sites and apps, and as a result is no longer producing new plastic Dash buttons.

Amazon Dash was a relatively early internet of things concept (early enough to be confused for an April Fool's story at launch four years ago). The Dash buttons are small plastic WiFi buttons that can be placed anywhere to reorder kitchen supplies, laundry soap and more.

The buttons were a hit among brands, as each one was tied to a specific brand's product line, and Amazon quickly added new products to the Dash catalog. However, Dash eventually became more of a placeholder for more advanced in-home shopping technology.

As Amazon adds more digital services and web connected in-home appliances, Amazon has less use for the plastic buttons, reports CNET, adding Amazon has also added other automatic virtual in-home reordering features that fit better with a digital commerce model.

Amazon will continue to support plastic Dash buttons in circulation, and the move likely has no bearing on legal issues surrounding Dash, such as its privacy-related court battle in Germany.