Amazon
Amazon will get rid of all of its Astro for Business robots on September 25. The company first released the robots about eight months ago as a security device for small businesses for $2,350, but the devices will soon become another expensive addition to Amazon’s list of failed products.
Amazon announced Astro as a home robot in September 2021, but this version of the device is still only available as an invite-only preview for $1,600.
In November, Amazon rolled out Astro to small and medium-sized businesses. But as first reported by GeekWire, Amazon sent an email to Astro for Business employees and customers on Wednesday informing them that the devices would stop working on September 25. “Your personal data will be deleted from the device. Videos of patrols and investigations recorded with Astro will remain available in the Ring app until your video retention period expires or your Ring Protect subscription ends,” Amazon wrote to customers at the time. According to The Verge, the email added:
We’re proud of what we’ve built so far, but in order to focus on making Astro the best robot for your home, we’ve decided to end support for Astro for Business.
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 a business on a customized route, and Ring Protect Pro, which allows Astro for Business owners to store video history and sync the robot with a Ring device.
Amazon said it would refund customers $2,350 and provide them with a $300 Amazon credit, as well as refund any unused prepaid subscription fees.
Amazon didn’t say how many robots it sold, but it would be a shame to see such expensive, complex technology become obsolete in less than a year. Amazon hasn’t said how these devices could be put to further use, and spokesperson Courtney Ramirez told The Verge that Astro for Business can’t be used as a home robot. In an email sent to customers, Amazon said it would cover any associated costs and encouraged owners to recycle Astro for Business through the Amazon Recycle program.
Astro’s takeoff is slow
Amazon introduced Astro in late 2021, but as of 2024, it has not yet been made available to the general public. When Amazon released Astro for small businesses, it seemed to have found a new niche for the product. According to a May 2023 report from Business Insider, Amazon chose to release Astro for Business over “internal plans to release a lower-cost model” for consumers in 2022.
Astro for Business was equipped with an HD periscope and night vision, could autonomously patrol spaces up to 5,000 square feet, could carry a small device, and of course could be controlled by Amazon Alexa. Since its release, Alexa has been in serious financial trouble, and David Limp, who led the Astro project as Amazon’s SVP of Devices and Services, has left Amazon, resulting in major layoffs in his division. (An Amazon representative told GeekWire that the closure of Astro for Business will not result in layoffs, and employees will instead begin work on developing a home version of the robot.)
Astro’s Future
According to an email from Amazon, the company is still keen to release a home version of Astro, which may come as a surprise to some since there’s been no indication of an imminent release since Amazon announced Astro a few years ago.
In May 2023, an Amazon representative told Insider that the company is looking at the potential of Astro’s generative AI. It appears that Amazon hopes to release Astro to consumers in the future alongside a generative AI version of Alexa (due out later this year for a subscription fee). In May 2023, Insider cited internal documents that said the company discussed adding “intelligence and a conversational voice interface” to Astro.
But considering that it took Amazon more than two and a half years (and still counting) and reportedly more than 800 people to make Astro available to the public, plus the abrupt closure of the business version, there’s reason to be hesitant to pay the high price and subscription fees for a consumer Astro, even if it is released at all. Early adopters may find themselves in the same unfortunate position as the small businesses that bought Astro for Business.
Astro’s development comes at a time of turmoil for Amazon’s devices business, as the company strives to make Alexa a competitive and, above all, profitable AI assistant. Reuters reported in June that a senior Amazon executive told employees that 2024 is a “must-win year” for Alexa. Some analysts expect further cuts in investment in Alexa if paid plans fail to succeed.
Amazon’s Astro home robot has struggled to launch and gain consumer demand, while the versions that have made it to market are heading to the graveyard along with other struggling Amazon products, including the Just Walk Out, Amazon Glow, Fire Phone, Dash Button, and Amazon Smart Oven.
