The Amazon Halo View is an upgraded version of the company's Halo band, a fitness wearable first launched in August of 2020. The original Halo band comes with a free six-month Halo membership to unlock access to all the features the wearable has to offer, including tone analysis and analyzing sleep patterns. After the extended free trial, the membership auto-renews at $3.99 per month. Original Halo band users can also take advantage of the Amazon Halo app, available for both iOS and Android.
Soon after the Halo wearable was released, Amazon looked to reassure concerns related to the privacy of the device. For example, while the ‘Body’ feature takes pictures of the user’s physique in order to track body composition over time, Amazon explained that the photos were deleted once a 3D model was created. Users may have also had concerns about the ‘Tone’ feature, considering it requires the microphone to listen to the user’s voice throughout the day. Amazon reassured those potential customers that the mic can be muted at any time and that it only listens to the user’s voice, not anyone else's.
The biggest difference between the new Halo View and the original Halo is the inclusion of an AMOLED color display that's designed to provide the user with access to real-time workout tracking, text notifications, sleep scores and more. The Halo View is also more affordable, starting at $79.99, compared to the $99 cost of the original Halo band. Halo View also comes with a full year of the Halo membership, is available in Active Black, Sage Green and Lavender Dream colors, and there are additional accessory bands available for purchase. The Halo membership is also getting its own update. Rolling out later this year, Halo Fitness will offer exclusive work-outs, and starting in 2022, users will also be able to take advantage of Halo Nutrition to discover a healthier diet.
Should You Buy Amazon's Halo View?
Like its predecessor, the Halo View offers up to seven days of battery and can be charged in less than 90 minutes. Both wearables also monitor heart rate, track sleep and are swim-proof. However, the addition of a screen is a huge improvement. In addition, the free year of membership, will mean buyers can go an extra six months without having to pay for full access to the premium features. It also helps that the Halo View is more affordable than the original, so the buyer is getting all of these upgrades at a better price than the original. Even for those still paying the monthly subscription with the original Halo band, it may be worth upgrading to the new model considering the one-year free membership will offset a significant part of the cost of the new wearable.
With options like the Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch 4, the wearable market is highly competitive one, but the latest watches from Apple and Samsung do come with huge price tags attached. The Halo View is more affordable solution and shares many of the same features. If users are looking to improve their fitness at an affordable price, Amazon's Halo View looks like a good option.
Source: Amazon