Amazon adds display in new $80 Halo View health band, skips mic, boosts free membership to a year

Amazon unveiled a new health band called Halo View, the second device from its Halo health-and-wellness initiative, and the first with a display.

Unlike the original Halo Band, released last year, the Halo View does not include a microphone. Despite user privacy protections, Amazon drew criticism and scrutiny for an optional feature in the original Halo Band that uses the microphone to assess the wearer’s tone of voice in everyday conversations as a measure of wellness.

With the changes, Amazon is competing more directly with Fitbit and other popular health bands, which commonly offer displays with basic health metrics. Data available on the Halo View screen will include step count, heart rate, blood oxygen levels, sleep score, and live...

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