Amazon will stop making all Astro for Business robots on September 25. It first launched the robot about eight months ago as a security device for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) for $2,350, but soon the device will be a new, expensive addition to Amazon’s list of failed products.
Amazon Astro announced in September 2021 as a home robot; that version of the device is still available for $1,600, Preview by invitation only.
In November, Amazon aimed Astro at SMBs. But, as first reported by Amazon GeekWireAmazon sent emails to Astro for Business employees and customers on Wednesday to inform them that the devices will stop working on Sept. 25. At the time, Amazon’s email to customers said, “Your personal data will be deleted from the device. Any patrol or investigation video recorded by Astro will continue to be available in your Ring app until your video storage time expires or your Ring Protect subscription ends.” The edgeadd email:
Starting this week, Amazon will no longer charge users for subscriptions associated with Astro for Business, such as Astro Secure, which allows the robot to patrol businesses via customized routes, or Ring Protect Pro, which allows Astro for Business owners to store video history and sync the robot with Ring devices.
Amazon said it would refund customers $2,350 and give them a $300 credit. It also said it would refund unused prepaid subscription fees.
Amazon has declined to share how many robots it’s sold, but it’s unfortunate to see such an expensive and complex piece of technology become obsolete after less than a year. Amazon hasn’t shared any way to make further use of the devices, and spokesperson Courtney Ramirez told The Verge that Astro for Business can’t be used as a home robot. Amazon’s email to customers encourages owners to recycle Astro for Business through the Amazon Recycling Program, with Amazon covering the associated costs.
Astro takes time to take off
Amazon introduced Astro in late 2021, but as of 2024, it is still not available to the general public. When Amazon launched Astro for SMBs, it seemed like it might have found a new niche for the product. A May 2023 report from Business Insider He said Amazon opted to launch Astro for Business instead of “an internal plan to launch a lower-cost model” in 2022 for consumers.
Astro for Business could autonomously patrol spaces up to 5,000 square feet with an HD periscope and night vision, could carry small devices, and of course, was controllable by Amazon Alexa. Since its launch, we’ve learned about Alexa’s dire threats. financial difficulties and I saw David Limp, who led the Astro project as Amazon’s senior vice president of devices and services, Leave Amazonwhile its division has suffered Notable dismissals(An Amazon representative told GeekWire that the closure of Astro for Business will not result in layoffs as employees will instead begin working on the home version of the robot.)
The future of Astro
According to Amazon emails, the company is still interested in releasing a home version of Astro, which may come as a surprise to some since there has been no sign of an imminent release since Amazon announced Astro years ago.
In May 2023, an Amazon representative told Insider that the company was interested in the potential of generative AI for Astro. Amazon likely hopes to one day roll out Astro to consumers with the Generative AI version of Alexa (which is expected to launch this year with a subscription fee). In May 2023, Insider cited internal documents that it claimed discussed adding “intelligence and a conversational spoken interface” to Astro.
But considering that it has taken Amazon over two and a half years (and counting) and reportedly The work of over 800 people to make Astro available to everyone, plus the sudden disappearance of the business version, make it a reason to hesitate to pay the high price and subscription fees for a consumer version of Astro, if it ever comes to market. Early adopters could find themselves in similarly disappointed positions as the SMBs who bought Astro for business.
The development of Astro comes at a tumultuous time for Amazon’s device business, which is seeking to turn Alexa into a competitive and, above all, lucrative artificial intelligence assistant. In June, Reuters reported that Amazon’s senior management had been telling employees that 2024 is a “must-have” year for Alexa. analysts Further investment in Alexa is expected to decline if the paid tier doesn’t take off.
Amazon’s Astro home robot faces an uphill road to eventual release or consumer demand. Meanwhile, the version that actually made it to market is headed toward a graveyard full of other dead Amazon products, such as Just go out, Amazon glow, Fire Phone, Dashboard buttonsand Amazon’s smart oven.
This story originally appeared in Ars Technica.