Amazon held today's media event, which saw the unveiling of a variety of new products. These ranged from an Alexa-powered in-home robot to a new fitness program that is similar to Apple Fitness+. Below are the most important announcements from Amazon.
Astro Household Robot
Astro, an Alexa-integrated robot home monitor, can help homeowners keep in touch with their family and friends, and more. Astro can monitor the home and provide a live view. It can also be used remotely to care for elderly relatives.
Astro can integrate with Ring to autonomously patrol your home using the Ring Protect Pro service. It also has full Alexa functionality. Astro is a part of the family and has a personality.
Echo Show 15
Astro will be shipped by Amazon later in the year at $1450. Amazon will offer an introductory price of $1,000 in the Day 1 Editions Program.
The Echo Show 15 is a communication and entertainment hub that can be mounted on a wall, or placed on a counter.
Amazon's Echo Show comes with Amazon's AZ2 neural edge processor. Amazon claims that it performs 22x trillions more operations per second. It can also run ML-based speech models quicker than the original AZ1.
The Echo Show comes with built-in Alexa widgets. This visual ID allows for individualization of what is displayed on the screen. It also integrates with smart home products. It supports 1080p video streaming, and integrates with Amazon services such as Audible and Amazon Photos. The Echo Show costs $250
Hey Disney
Amazon has partnered with Disney to create a "Hey Disney" voice assistant. This will allow adults and children to use their Echo devices to interact with characters from Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars.
Amazon Glow
Interactive Disney entertainment and storytelling will be offered by Hey Disney, as well as jokes and fun facts. The Hey Disney functionality will be available in Walt Disney World Resort hotel rooms.
Amazon Glow, a projector-based interactive device for children, offers activities that children can do while video calling with their family and friends. Amazon Glow allows children to play games, read stories and create art remotely from their homes. Glow costs $250
Ring Always Home Cam
Amazon's $250 Always Home Cam was unveiled last year. This drone-based security system can fly from a dock to various places within the home. Amazon will show it again today because there is an invite list available for anyone who wants to purchase an Always Home Cam.
Ring Alarm Pro
Ring Alarm Pro is a smart hub that integrates with Eero WiFi router functionality. It can connect to Ring cameras in your home to store Ring video footage, and integrates with third-party products such as door locks, smoke alarms and other security devices. Ring Alarm Pro costs $250.
Halo View and Halo Health
Amazon also announced Ring Virtual Security Guard as a subscription service. Customers can pay $99 per month to have a professional security company "visually" monitor their Ring cameras.
The Halo View, an updated version the Halo Band, features an AMOLED display. It offers live workout tracking and health metrics. The Halo View costs $80.
The original Halo Band was criticized for its intrusiveness and lack privacy features. There have been no improvements in this area since the second iteration.
Amazon announced the new Halo Fitness service to go with the Halo View. It is nearly identical to Apple Fitness+. Halo Fitness provides hundreds of studio-quality workouts, which are led by industry professionals and integrate with Halo hardware.
The Halo Nutrition program also includes a meal plan to help users plan healthy meals. It can also connect with Alexa Shopping List to add ingredients in one spot.
Alexa Together
Alexa Together is an online subscription service that helps aging relatives feel more at home living alone. It also gives their family members access to them to check in. Alexa Together offers a 24/7 Urgent Response option to connect to emergency services. Remote Assist allows family members to manage caregiving remotely. Alexa Together costs $19.99 per month.
