Amazon Halo: Shines as Activity and Sleep Tracker
PC Magazine|March 2021
Lots of fitness trackers can measure your calories burned, heart rate, and steps. With the Halo, Amazon wants to give you greater visibility into your overall health, along with actionable insights to help improve it. The Halo does an excellent job of monitoring your activity and sleep, and its companion app gives you access to a wide range of workouts and wellness programs. In addition, the Halo can analyze the tone of your voice to tell you how you sound to other people and measure your body-fat percentage based on images taken with its app. These two features are a bit gimmicky, but the Halo band is otherwise useful when you’re looking to move more and improve your shut-eye.
ANGELA MOSCARITOLO
Amazon Halo: Shines as Activity and Sleep Tracker

WHAT THE HALO DOES

The Amazon Halo has four main features: It tracks your activity, sleep, tone of voice, and body fat percentage. I’ll go over each of these features briefly here and in more detail below.

Throughout the day, the Halo automatically tracks the intensity and duration of your movement as well as your sedentary time. Taking these factors into account, it gives you an Activity Score. Informed by recommendations from the American Heart Association, the app encourages you to reach an Activity Score of at least 150 points each week. At night, it tracks your sleep, then gives you a sleep score from 0 to 100 based on the duration and quality of your rest.

The Tone feature uses two built-in microphones to collect voice data throughout the day, then analyzes your tone and reports how you sound to others. A live mode lets you view your voice analysis in real-time. A button on the sensor capsule lets you turn the microphones off at any time to disable this feature.

Amazon Halo

PROS

Unobtrusive design. Automatically tracks activities and workouts. Comprehensive sleep tracking. Features workouts and wellness programs.

CONS

Requires a subscription. No screen or smartwatch capabilities. Tone analysis feature drains battery life. Doesn’t track recovery.

BOTTOM LINE

The unassuming Amazon Halo wristband works with a membership-based wellness service that can help you get active and sleep better, but its tone of voice and body composition analysis features are a bit creepy.

This story is from the March 2021 edition of PC Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the March 2021 edition of PC Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM PC MAGAZINEView All
AUDIO
PC Magazine

AUDIO

AUDIO

time-read
1 min  |
December 2022
SMART HOME
PC Magazine

SMART HOME

SMART HOME

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2022
T Mobile
PC Magazine

T Mobile

Mobile

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2022
Apple TV 4K 3rd Generation): Best for the Apple-Centric
PC Magazine

Apple TV 4K 3rd Generation): Best for the Apple-Centric

A powerful, feature-rich media streamer that’s pricier than most

time-read
7 mins  |
December 2022
20 Tips for Leveling Up Your Work-at-Home Game
PC Magazine

20 Tips for Leveling Up Your Work-at-Home Game

Whether you're new to working remotely or just looking fo do if beffer, fhese fips can help you stay productive and maintain balance.

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2022
12 Google Calendar Tricks You're Probably Not Using
PC Magazine

12 Google Calendar Tricks You're Probably Not Using

Wondering how to share your Google Calendar? Want to add a new calendar? Here are the tips you need.

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2022
SimpliSafe Home Security System: Affordable Ease of Use
PC Magazine

SimpliSafe Home Security System: Affordable Ease of Use

Affordable security with a focus on flexibility

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2022
Honda Unveils First All-Electric SUV, Built on GM's Battery Platform
PC Magazine

Honda Unveils First All-Electric SUV, Built on GM's Battery Platform

The Honda Prologue battery-electric SUV arrives in 2024 and will use the Ultium battery technology developed by General Motors.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2022
We Must Save Streaming Video Before It’s Too Late
PC Magazine

We Must Save Streaming Video Before It’s Too Late

A generation of art risks extinction if the companies that own streaming services don’t believe their vast libraries are worth preserving. We have to act now to save it.

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2022
If You Have a Uterus, Don't Buy an Apple Watch
PC Magazine

If You Have a Uterus, Don't Buy an Apple Watch

New women's health and reproductive features in the Apple Watch 8 and Ultra have the potential to cause harm following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2022