Fitness wearable space already has so many brands. Now Amazon has announced a fitness band and subscription platform called Halo. Halo is a membership program where you will have a monthly fee. Amazon Halo app is coming for both Android and iOS. The app will work with the Halo band.
You can buy and use the wearable without opting for the subscription but you will not have access to Halo’s advanced features. The Halo Band is priced at $99.99 and the subscription costs $3.99 monthly. Those who get into the early access program will be able to get the wearable for $64.99.
The most notable feature is the Tone that uses the fitness band’s two built-in microphones to monitor the user’s voice. Each day, the device records snippets of the user to analyze and categorize for finding emotional states. Emotional categories include hopeful, elated, bored, apologetic, happy, and worried. You can mute the microphone anytime by holding down a button on the Amazon Halo Band. All the analysis is done on your phone.
The fitness band doesn’t feature built-in Alexa. If you don’t use the Tone feature, you can disable microphones.
The band can also measure your body fat percentage. It uses a smartphone car to snap multiple photos of your body and then compile into a 3D by pressing your photos on Amazon’s cloud servers. Then the Halo app uses a machine-learning algorithm to calculate your body fat percentage.
Amazon says that body fat percentage can tell a lot about a person’s health. The app also lets you see how you would look like with less or more fat.
The Halo band also includes activity tracking and awards you points. You earn more points by doing more strenuous activities. If you sit too much, you lose points. The band also offers sleep tracking.
Amazon claims that your data is encrypted in transit and on the cloud. You can download or date your data anytime. The platform also deletes both your body scans and speech samples after it finishes analyzing them.
Amazon Halo is currently available in the US. The band comes in three different color combinations: Black and Oynx, Blush and Rose Gold, and Winter and Silver. Amazon is also planning to sell additional fabric and silicone bands in several other colors.
