Amazon Astro: Two prices, sale date, privacy, learn more about the Alexa robot



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Amazon’s Astro robot reminds us of the Disney Pixar Wall-E character.

Amazon / Screenshot by James Martin / CNET

Astro, the new autonomous domestic robot from Amazon, made a surprise debut at tech giant product launch event Tuesday. As we find out, the little bot has a lot more than its beatbox skills (yes, really). We’ll tell you everything we know so far about Amazon’s robot assistant, including two different prices (it starts at $ 1,000), what we know about the sale date, limitations and specs. Astro techniques, and what Amazon is saying about privacy right now.

We’ll continue to update this story as we get more information on your burning questions – we’ve reached out to Amazon for comment and additional information.

How much does Amazon Astro cost and how to buy it?

Amazon Astro is a Day 1 product, which means it’s available through invitation-only pre-order. You can sign up to receive an invitation to pre-order the Amazon Astro today. The home robot will initially cost $ 1,000. On a larger release, Astro’s price will drop to $ 1,450. Amazon also allows free returns.


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Can I buy Amazon Astro outside of the United States?

No. So far, Astro can only ship to addresses in all 50 states.

When will Amazon release its Astro robot?

So far, Amazon has only said that Astro will be available later this year. We will update this story when we have a clearer date. Presumably, the Astro robot will ship to pre-order customers before January 1, 2022.

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Yes, Astro winks and it’s precious.

Amazon / Screenshot by James Martin / CNET

What does the Amazon Astro robot do?

A lot. Amazon said the Astro, which is like Alexa on Wheels, can monitor home security, keep tabs on the elderly and young members of your family, and generally be on hand and call for ordering needs. from Alexa.

The bot is designed to learn your habits in order to make it more useful in your everyday life. For example, Astro uses Intelligent Motion to navigate your home, avoid furniture and pets, and learn the way you use it. This means that when you’re not using Astro, it will hang out in a nearby low traffic area and recharge.

The robot can follow you by playing podcasts and music, as well as remotely check others in the house. Astro can also make calls, send messages, and set timers, alarms and reminders. The robot even has a small removable storage bin for transporting and delivering items, like a water bottle, to specific people in the house. create a visual identifier. You can also video chat on Astro, and the robot will move with you, keep you in the frame, like the Facebook portal.

Astro can also integrate with Ring Security Alarm System (more below), capture event video clips and send them to Ring’s cloud. Read on to find out what Astro can do with a Ring Protect Pro subscription and Alexa Guard.

The robot can detect sounds such as broken glass or smoke detectors and alert you. If you think you forgot to turn off the stove, you can send Astro into the kitchen to check.

When it comes to remote elderly care, Astro could recognize faces, search for an elderly person, and provide status notifications to caregivers. Moreover, with the future Alexa together integration, you can set up routines for medication reminders, write shopping lists, receive activity alerts or check blood pressure.

What does Amazon say about Astro privacy?

On its product page for Astro, Amazon says you can turn off mics, cameras, and motion with just the push of a button. You can also use the Astro app to set up “out of bounds areas” that Astro is not allowed to enter. We’re currently digging deeper into Astro’s privacy guards, including what its camera will and won’t see, and will update this section when we have more details.

How does Amazon Astro work with a Ring Protect Pro subscription?

If you activate a six-month free trial of Ring Protect Pro, Astro will patrol your home with its periscope camera, investigate any unusual activity, and record videos in Ring’s cloud storage for 60 days. If Astro detects something wrong – an unidentified person or sound – it will alert you remotely.

Without a Ring Protect Pro subscription, Astro only allows live view from the app, remote robot control and two-way conversation.

If you resend or unregister the Astro, you will lose your Ring Protect Pro trial, and possibly the access that goes with it.

Here’s what Amazon says if you’re already a subscriber:

If you are already subscribed to the Ring Protect Plan monthly or annually, your subscription will continue to renew automatically. If you assign your Astro to the same location as your existing Ring Protect plan, after the start of your trial period, you will automatically receive a credit to your Ring account equivalent to 6 months of payments (excluding tax), prorated to your subscription. current. If you are currently in a free trial period for a Ring Protection Plan at the same location where you assign your Astro, your existing trial will end in favor of your 6 month trial and you will not receive credit.

How does Amazon Astro work with an Alexa Guard subscription?

Using Alexa Guard with Astro means you’ll receive smart alerts for smoke detectors, the sound of broken glass, as well as barking and dog movements outside. It can turn smart lights on and off, offer hands-free emergency calls, and play a siren when activity is detected inside.

Without an Alexa Guard subscription, Astro can still send smart alerts on smoke or carbon monoxide detection, or glass breakage, and it can operate your smart lights.

As with Ring Protect Pro, if you resend or unregister the Astro, you will lose your trial and Alexa Guard features. Here is Amazon’s policy regarding Alexa Guard subscriptions:

For existing Alexa Guard Plus subscribers, your subscription will be canceled when you activate your Ring Protect Pro trial. After the 6 month trial period, you can subscribe to Ring Protect Pro or Alexa Guard Plus to retain access to Guard Plus benefits.

You can suspend your Ring Protect Pro trial benefits by unlinking your Amazon and Ring accounts on Ring.com or by using the Ring app. If you cancel your Ring Protect Pro subscription during the 6 month trial period, no refund will be issued.

What can’t Amazon Astro do?

There are some limitations. Astro cannot go up the stairs or go out, for example. Amazon says Astro can’t send smart alerts for activity sounds while it’s investigating, patrolling, or on the move. We’ll update this list as we learn more.

What we still don’t know about Amazon Astro (and are finding out now)

Amazon has provided quite a bit of information to dig into, but we still have questions. Here is a list of what we are digging. We will update as we learn more.

  • Battery and charger details
  • Privacy settings and policies
  • How the Astro app will work
  • If there is a manual control mode

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