Fitbit, Apple Watch, Koretrack or Galaxy Fit, gone are the days when you see a traditional watch on someone’s wrist. Fitness trackers have dominated the market and consumers are purchasing these devices at amazing rates. According to Grand View Research, the market for wearable technology was valued at $32.6 billion in 2019 with an anticipated growth of $15.9 percent annual growth rate through 2027.
Connected devices popularity is on the rise due to concerns of obesity and tracking weight loss, monitoring chronic illnesses and fitness goals have led to the adoption. Depending on your goals, these devices are offering different options for tracking beyond calorie intake and activity. Some are now including oxygen levels, blood pressure, and cardio tracking options.
The after effects of COVID has impacted the growth of wearable technology with people wanting to be more in tune with their health and the need to move and track activity due to less activity because of isolation.
As popularity continues, no doubt the devices will become more sophisticated, offering more options for tracking vitals, cardiovascular options and beyond. To support this point, Amazon has their health-tracking device called Amazon Halo.
Amazon Halo
A new wearable device that provides ways to monitor the typical stats but with some added features that support a more comprehensive personal health and wellness monitoring. A difference with Amazon Halo compared to other wearable devices is it requires a membership.
Currently, the Amazon Halo is available for $79 – $89, which typically includes a six-month to one year trial to the Halo service. Without a trial the monthly membership is $3.99 a month plus tax. While the service is optional, it really enhances the device and smartphone app.
How Does it Work?
Amazon’s Halo band uses sensors to collect an individual’s health data by using an accelerometer, a temperature sensor, a LED indicator light and microphones that may be turned on and off. The device connects and communicates with your phone (IPhones and Android) via Bluetooth. The design is simple with a band that comes in black, light blue and rose gold. There is no display, the band simply lays over the top.
YOU TUBE Amazon Halo Overview: Introducing Amazon Halo
Tracking Features
Amazon Halo is a provides the options to measure and provide valuable insights to the overall health and wellness of the user. The device focuses on five areas: Activity, Sleep, Body, Tone, and Labs.
Activity:
Measuring your activity is key to a weight loss and fitness program, but do you ever look at your device and think maybe your actual activity was not captured accurately? Amazon Halo uses current physical activity guidelines from the American Heart Association (AHA) to assign points based on how active users are throughout the day. Since the points are based on AHA guidelines, you will get more points for running than walking. It also highlights a sedentary lifestyle by deducting a point for every hour over eight hours of sedentary time (the eight hours are for sleep).
Sleep:
The Halo Band may also be used to track the user’s sleep and awake time by using the motion, heart rate, and temperature data from the Halo Band sensor. It also allows for the user to track different phases of sleep, such as light, deep and REM.
Body:
The Halo allows for body scan’s providing a more accurate view of body mass. With an active Halo membership, users will be able to use their smartphone’s camera with the Halo app to complete a full-body scan to measure body fat percentage. So how does the app compare against your smart scale? Amazon suggests that the body scan measurements would be twice as accurate.
Tone:
Part of overall health is social and emotional well-being, often overlooked with current fitness trackers. The tone of your voice, whether low or high pitched, can be a good indicator of social and emotional well-being. The Halo uses machine learning (artificial intelligence) to analyze the amount of energy and positivity in your voice, and also helps users understand just how they sound to others.
Labs:
These are challenges or work outs, physical and mental that are all backed by science. Examples include Extra Steps to Reduce Stress, Sculpt Your Body—Pilates, Core Strength for Improved Posture, are challenges, and Yoga to Sharpen the Mind. The end goal is to help users develop healthier habits over for overall physical and mental health.
Privacy
While tracking all these key details can lead to a healthier lifestyle, how private is your data? Amazon addresses this by stating there are multiple levels of privacy and security built into the device so your data may be kept safe. To support this all health information is encrypted when sent via email or while it is stored in the cloud. The user is the only one who can download or delete information from the Amazon Halo App.
Data integration
According to Beckers, “Amazon launching the Halo health tracker could be a giant leap by Amazon. Amazon’s Health Tracker will considerably impact the remote healthcare services industry,” said Jitin Narang, chief marketing officer for TechAhead, a mobile app development company. “Through integration with Cerner EHR, the data collected by the app could be shared with the doctors, and appropriate remote consultation can be provided to the patients without the requirement to visit the hospitals.”
Patient monitoring of blood pressure, weight, body mass index, etc., are all key to managing chronic illness or putting good habits in place to minimize the risk of developing a chronic illness like diabetes.
Cerner is an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system used by your health care provider to maintain your health record. Wearable devices syncing with EHR’s will be key and provide a new way to communicate with your provider and manage your overall health and wellness.
Sources:
IMore: Amazon Halo Membership: Everything you Need to Know
Grandview Research: Wearable Technology
The Verge: Amazon Halo Fitness Band
Beckers: Is Amazon Halo Good Or Bad For Health Care: 5 Observations