Amazon has announced the discontinuation of its “Halo” health and fitness bands today (via Bloomberg). Launched in August 2020, the first Halo band was intended as a low-cost alternative to the Apple Watch.
The Halo Band and its accompanying app
The Halo wristband lacked a watch face, instead featuring a sensor module worn on the wrist, equipped with an accelerometer, temperature sensor, heart rate monitor, two microphones, and an LED indicator light. The band was used in conjunction with an app that displayed the health data collected from the device.
Priced at $99, the band did not include GPS, Wi-Fi, cellular connectivity, or Alexa integration. Some features were accessible only through an Amazon Prime subscription. Amazon incorporated a 3D body scan feature and a speech analysis function, both of which faced criticism for being invasive.
The scanning feature required users to wear minimal clothing for their smartphone camera to capture their body, while the tone analysis employed always-on microphones.
The End of the Halo Line
Amazon eventually expanded its product line to include the Halo View, Halo Band, Halo Rise, and various accessories, all of which are now being discontinued.
Support for the Amazon Halo line will cease as of July 31, 2023. Amazon is refunding all customer purchases and subscriptions made within the previous 12 months and is informing customers of the upcoming discontinuation via email. Halo users must download any data they wish to retain from the app by August 1, 2023.
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