Amazon Discontinuing 'Halo' Health and Fitness Wristband

[MacRumors]

Amazon is discontinuing its line of "Halo" health and fitness bands, Amazon announced today (via Bloomberg). The first Halo band was introduced in August 2020, and it was positioned as a low-cost competitor to the Apple Watch.

The Halo wristband had no watch face, instead offering a sensor wrist worn sensor module with an accelerometer, temperature sensor, heart rate monitor, two microphones, and an LED indicator light. It was used alongside an app that displayed the health data collected from the band.

Priced at $99, the band had no GPS, WiFi, cellular connectivity, or Alexa integration, and some features were locked behind an Amazon Prime subscription. Amazon included a 3D body scan feature and a feature for analyzing speech, both of which were criticized for their invasiveness. The scanning function asked users to change into minimal clothing to let their smartphone camera see their body, while the tone readings used the always-on microphones.

Amazon eventually expanded to the Halo View, Halo Band, Halo Rise, and accessories, all of which are being discontinued.

The Amazon Halo line will no longer be supported as of July 31, 2023, and Amazon is refunding all customer purchases and subscriptions that were made in the preceding 12 months. Amazon is informing customers about the upcoming discontinuation via email.

Halo customers will need to download any data that they want to keep from the app by August 1, 2023.

Article Link: Amazon Discontinuing 'Halo' Health and Fitness Wristband

 

[Apple_Robert]

At this point, there are very few that can compete with the Apple Watch in regards to features and integration in the ecosystem. Not surprised Amazon is discontinuing.

 

[Nicky G]

Well geez, they put the watch on the wrong side of the strap, so what would you expect?

 

[jimbobb24]

I don’t understand why they needed the microphones. What health information is in your voice.

 

[rp2011]

I bought one of these things. Piece of junk. The worst parts were the most basic and essential things, such as charging it.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

This was a dumb product with an overpriced subscription model. Looked like a failure from the start.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

I don’t understand why they needed the microphones. What health information is in your voice.

It measured your tone and told you if you were being aggressive/angry with your tone I believe. Something like that.

 

[tivoboy]

SHOCKED!! Simply shocked!.. /s

 

[Fortimir]

Ironically, I'd love an Apple version of this. Sometimes I want to wear a mechanical watch, but I want my health tracking and biometrics from the Apple Watch.

 

[Scrundel]

Ironically, I'd love an Apple version of this. Sometimes I want to wear a mechanical watch, but I want my health tracking and biometrics from the Apple Watch.

My thoughts exactly. I want the fitness and sleep tracking, but I’d rather wear something like this with Apple’s tech. All the gps and cellular bits are in my phone, same with the Health and Fitness apps/data, so just make an SE Band or something so I can wear a normal watch.

 

[paulovsouza]

“Cheap alternative”, yet it has 4 actual features on device, for a dog collar that’s worth $99… I think it be a stretch if it cost $19.99.

 

[The Barron]

The Apple Watch is just too advanced, tested by millions of users, is priced right and along with Watch OS updates, to make it even worth competing for the likes of Amazon et al. Go Apple!

 

[eddiezus]

Planet Fitness just started giving these out for free LMAOO

 

[boast]

Disappointing product. I thought eventually they were going to give it features to compete against the whoop strap. But I guess not.

 

[Yujenisis]

Ironically, I'd love an Apple version of this. Sometimes I want to wear a mechanical watch, but I want my health tracking and biometrics from the Apple Watch.

I suspect it’s too small a niche for Apple to fill, sadly, and is even less likely after the Halo’s failure.

If you don’t mind missing the more advanced Apple Watch workout features and Apps, Withings makes some very handsome mechanical watches with pretty solid Apple Health integration (but you still need their app too).

 

[Lexster]

The Halo was actually an attempt by Amazon to rip off the Whoop functionality and form factor. The CEO of Whoop has talked publically about how Amazon did early DD on them and them broke it off, only to show up with something similar (but not similar!) only a year or so later. Whoop is a serious fitness/quantified wellness device and app and as the CEO there said, he was not afraid of Amazon because they did not have the passion or the team to pull it off. Just the money.....and even then. Good riddence.

 

[Killbynumbers]

Never heard of it before.

 

[Lexster]

My thoughts exactly. I want the fitness and sleep tracking, but I’d rather wear something like this with Apple’s tech. All the gps and cellular bits are in my phone, same with the Health and Fitness apps/data, so just make an SE Band or something so I can wear a normal watch.

Try a whoop. go to www.whoop.com

 

[coachgq]

I bought one by invitation only. Used one day and found out it was worthless, sold it for almost 200 on eBay. Best deal I’ve ever made.

 

[FightTheFuture]

The Halo was actually an attempt by Amazon to rip off the Whoop functionality and form factor. The CEO of Whoop has talked publically about how Amazon did early DD on them and them broke it off, only to show up with something similar (but not similar!) only a year or so later. Whoop is a serious fitness/quantified wellness device and app and as the CEO there said, he was not afraid of Amazon because they did not have the passion or the team to pull it off. Just the money.....and even then. Good riddence.

Haven’t heard of Whoop until reading an article on 9to5 earlier today.

 

[nwcs]

I forgot they even made it. Easy product to drop and save a tiny amount of money. Time for more executive bonuses…

 

[macduke]

So they discontinued an Apple Watch competitor with no display or even watch face that uses an app to scan your nudes to tell you what you already know: you’re a fatass, and that has no connectivity except BlueTooth to send data from the microphones that constantly record everything you say back to Amazon?

GEE IDK WHY IT FAILED??

 

[oofio2461]

Blessing in disguise, Amazon doesn't get to take the fitness data of more people now..

 

[nutmac]

I think this will be the year Amazon consolidates and discontinues many of its hardware offerings. I suspect some of these are on the chopping blocks:

• Astro
• Echo Frames
• Echo Show 10, Echo Show 15
• Echo Studio
• Fire 7
• Fire TV Cube
• Kindle Oasis

 

[Kengineer]

Whelp, Apple now has even more of a monopoly on wearables. Time for some government regulation!