Amazon Jumps into Fitness with Halo Band and App

Amazon is omnipresent in today’s world. The giant company is now making its presence felt in the fitness world. It has come up with a subscription fitness service called Halo. Halo works with a band and app. Surprisingly, the band has no monitor. You have to use the app to look up the data.

While fitness apps and brands are not a novelty, Halo has some head tuning features. It has a 3D body fat analysis feature and Tone to analyze one’s emotional state via voice. The specs seem like they have come right out of a dystopian TV show.

Well, there are normal fitness app-band features too. The specs are sleep analysis, activity tracking, and temperature check.

Halo stands out with the body fat analysis feature. Amazon is trying to bring a new narrative in the fitness world. Currently, the whole fitness industry is focused on weight loss. Diets and workouts are designed to lose weight. But, Amazon argues that fat of the body is the primary determinant of your health and fitness.

You will have to wear minimal clothing (ideally only underwear) and stand six feet from the camera. Take four photos from the front, back, and both sides.

Then, upload the pictures on the Amazon server. They will give you a 3D image of the body scan. The Amazon AI will create the image and calculate the body fat percentage. Amazon clarifies that after the 3D creation, the pictures will be deleted from the server.

Unlike smartphones and devices, the tone feature is not for command. Instead, you will have to record voices to the Halo band. It will also recognize the Tone of the voice. The data will help determine your emotional state throughout the future.

There are two mics in the Halo band that will record the voice. It will not be a 24/7 surveillance. The band will record your voices intermittently and determine the emotional state.

You can opt to mute the feature. All one has to do is tap the button, and a red LED light will briefly appear to indicate that the sound is off.

As for the voice data, Amazon has said only the emotional pattern will be recorded on the mobile phone. The company has mentioned that they have no intention of storing voice data anywhere.

Halo app will analyze the sleep cycle in detail. It will breakdown the sleep pattern and its different stages. The app will keep track of the body temperature in various stages.

The in-depth analysis will provide insight into activities that affect sleeping patterns. It may help in what activities work in an individual’s life.

But, the app and band won’t give the body temperature. The feature has been essential, with the Covid-19 on the rise. Devices like Oura Ring and the latest Fitbit have such features.

Halo band and the app will track your activity. Only walking and running are automatically tracked. Other activities need manual entry.

The peculiar part about Halo is there is no monitor. So, you won’t be able to count every step in the band. You have to look upon the app for the detailed account.

Similarly, Halo is a weekly activity-based. It gives you a tally of the activity of the whole week. The feature hints that the program may be focused on a consumer base starting in the fitness area.

There is an option of fitness programs of OrangeTheory and Weight Watchers. But, there is no Apple or Google compatibility of Halo.

Halo will cost $99.99 for the admission and six months of free services. Then, the subscription will cost $3.99 monthly. The program is just starting. It is in the invite-only phase as of now. In the current stage, the starting price is $64.99.

Halo isn’t out yet, so it is hard to give a verdict. It will be interesting to see how it will fare. The fitness market is already competitive with Apple Watch and FitBit band. Halo’s seem targeted toward a novice in fitness. It is unclear how they will feel about the subscription.

Also, the body fat analysis feature comes with privacy concerns. After all, you have to upload pictures dressed in minimal clothing. Only time will tell how people feel about sharing their private photos. Although Amazon has assured full privacy, we will have to see how people react to it.