Amazon Abandons Astro for Business focuses on Astro for Home with Remarkable Alexa
• Amazon has discontinued Astro for Business, a security robot for small and medium-sized businesses, on September 25th.
• Astro for business was released about eight months ago for $2,350.
• Amazon will refund customers $2,350 and provide a $300 Amazon credit.
• Despite customer requests, Amazon refused to allow Astro for Business devices to be repurposed for home use.
• Amazon instructed customers to recycle their devices through Amazon's recycling services, with Amazon covering the associated costs.
• Amazon will focus on developing Astro for home use, which is still in an invite-only preview phase.
• The home version of Astro is priced at $1,600.
• Astro’s transition to home use will be driven by Amazon’s “Remarkable Alexa” that uses generative AI to offer a compelling user experience.
• Amazon’s plans to integrate Remarkable Alexa into Astro, will potentially come with a subscription fee.
• The company aims to make Astro a competitive and lucrative AI assistant.
• Amazon's devices business is under pressure to make Alexa a competitive AI assistant, with 2024 being a "must-win" year.
Read more:
arstechnica.com
www.businessinsider.com
• Amazon has discontinued Astro for Business, a security robot for small and medium-sized businesses, on September 25th.
• Astro for business was released about eight months ago for $2,350.
• Amazon will refund customers $2,350 and provide a $300 Amazon credit.
• Despite customer requests, Amazon refused to allow Astro for Business devices to be repurposed for home use.
• Amazon instructed customers to recycle their devices through Amazon's recycling services, with Amazon covering the associated costs.
• Amazon will focus on developing Astro for home use, which is still in an invite-only preview phase.
• The home version of Astro is priced at $1,600.
• Astro’s transition to home use will be driven by Amazon’s “Remarkable Alexa” that uses generative AI to offer a compelling user experience.
• Amazon’s plans to integrate Remarkable Alexa into Astro, will potentially come with a subscription fee.
• The company aims to make Astro a competitive and lucrative AI assistant.
• Amazon's devices business is under pressure to make Alexa a competitive AI assistant, with 2024 being a "must-win" year.
Read more:
Amazon is bricking $2,350 Astro robots 10 months after release
Amazon giving refunds for business bot, will focus on home version instead.
arstechnica.com
Inside Amazon's agonizing attempt to save Alexa with AI
The Alexa digital assistant seems like the perfect product for the generative AI era. Getting this technology to actually work is another matter.
www.businessinsider.com
