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August 31, 2020
Amazon.com last week inserted Halo, a combination of fitness tracker, app, and subscription service. The device will take on Fitbit, which is being acquired by Google, Apple Watch and others, while possibly building on Amazon’s ambitions in the healthcare space.
The AI-enabled wristband tracks activity and sleep basics like many wearable devices, but it goes further by being able to estimate body fat percentage through a smartphone camera. The “Tone” function tracks the emotional state by listening to the voice of the user, thus providing information on “energy and positivity”.
However, unlike the Apple Watch or Fitbit, the Amazon Halo Band does not have a screen, forcing the user to head over to the companion app to view their health metrics and access “challenges, experiments and trainings ”offered through your Halo subscription.
8fit, Harvard Health Publishing, Mayo Clinic offers a variety of exercise routines, meditation practices, and tips for improving sleep and other fitness habits. Orangetheory and others.
“Health is much more than how many steps you take in a day or how many hours you sleep,” said Dr. Maulik Majmudar, Amazon Halo’s chief medical officer, in a statement. “Amazon Halo combines the latest medical science, high-precision data from Halo Band sensors, and cutting-edge artificial intelligence to offer a more comprehensive approach to improving your health and well-being.”
Amazon will make the device and subscription available at an initial invitation-only fee of $ 64.99 before increasing its regular price to $ 99.99.
The Halo was built “with privacy in mind,” the company claims, with health data “encrypted in transit and in the cloud,” and body scans and voice data are automatically deleted after processing. The company says the device has no ties to Alexa or Amazon Prime so far.
Amazon has mainly focused on home devices like its Echo and Fire TV smart speakers. Last year, the company experienced disappointing launches with its wireless earbuds, finger rings, and prescription glasses with Alexa built in.
No mention is made on Amazon launching from its other healthcare ventures, such as the purchase of an online pharmacy, PillPack, a healthcare joint venture with JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway, or the recent opening of employee health clinics.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Why do you think Amazon is moving into the fitness tracker space? Do you see a greater potential benefit for your core online market or the company’s healthcare ambitions?
“At its core, Amazon is a data company that collects and uses customer data so that it can be more effective in selling products.”
