Last Updated on March 1, 2021 by James Matthews
Without a doubt, fitness is becoming a higher priority for many people hence the boom of wearable fitness trackers. However, with a wide range of options available and varying price points, picking the best one can be quite challenging.
If this is your case, then here’s the solution for you. This article will provide you with a side by side comparison of the two most popular wearable fitness trackers in the market; Amazon Halo vs. the Apple Watch. This way, you can easily identify which best suits your needs and preferences.
Amazon Halo
Amazon is a particularly new player when it comes to fitness wearables. However, with their leading electronics from Alexa to kindles, it is not a surprise that they are launching the Amazon Halo.
The major selling point of the fitness wearable that Amazon offers is its price. It is only a fraction of the cost of an Apple Watch. However, the biggest trade-off is that it does not come with a screen. To know whether it is worthy or not, continue reading on its comprehensive breakdown below.
Amazon Halo Key Features:
- Temperature sensor
- Heart rate monitor
- 2 microphones
- 7 days of battery life
- LED indicator light
Halo Membership
Although the Halo membership is optional when buying the Halo band, it helps optimize the device. It is an Amazon service that provides comprehensive wellness monitoring and personal health. It also provides advice tailormade to the data gathered from your device.
The Halo services work by using health tools powered by AI. It gathers data from the Halo Band and tracks the user in five major areas; labs, tone, body, sleep, and activity.
The Amazon Halo Band comes with a free 6 months Halo membership. After the trial period, you will be charged for $3.99 monthly plus tax. This is considerably more affordable than other brand’s membership rates for health-related services.
Halo Benefits
Some may consider the lack of screen as a downside for the Amazon Halo. However, the flip side is that it seems that Amazon is carving their own niche by removing this feature to set them apart from the competition in terms of design and price point.
Overall the Halo resembles the Whoop Strap, and we’ve compared the two devices as well.
The Amazon Halo hardware is pretty straightforward. It consists of the band and the sensor module, so it is perfect for people who want lowkey and practical accessories. You also have the option to get extra bands with different designs or colors. Fabric bands are around $19.99, while sport bands are $15.99, so it is easy for you to mix and match the Amazon Halo with your outfit.
Aside from being stylish and minimalistic, it also has some great features. With the use of the Halo app on a smartphone, you can use the Body scan. You will be instructed by the app to wear fitting clothes and stand 6 feet away from the smartphone. It will then take photos of your body and turn it into a 3D body scan. After that, you will receive a body analysis that includes body fat percentage. We’ll hold our breath on how accurate it will be, but the concept is pretty cool.
This feature is meant to be both informational and motivational because Amazon believes that body fat percentages are a more reliable indicator of an individual’s health than body mass index or weight. If you are worried about your pictures being stored on data centers, Amazons assure that they will be immediately deleted from their servers.
Another notable benefit of the Amazon Halo is its voice tracking feature. Using the microphone on the band, it will analyze the emotional state of your voice throughout the day. The microphone will not be listening at all times. You can also opt to turn it off whenever you like.
Lastly, the Amazon Halo has activity and sleep tracking features. These are probably one of the standard features that you will look for on a fitness wearable. However, how these features works are very different from the tracking other brands provide.
Instead of daily tracking, the app will track your cardio fitness weekly. It also does not count total steps but instead provides you with abstract scores that correspond to more holistic goals. These activity scores are developed with the American Heart Association.
Halo Pro’s
- Affordable price
- Water-resistant
- Long-lasting battery life
- Seamless design
- Affordable Halo app membership
- One year limited warranty
Halo Con’s
- No screen
- First Generation
- Only available in the United States
- Limited band material options
Given its price, the Amazon Halo has a lot of potential. However, it does have several downsides that can have you thinking about whether it is truly worth it or not. It’s a good thing that it does come with a one-year limited warranty so you can try it out fully. Besides, it is very affordable, so might as well give it a try.
Apple Watch
As of today, there have already been 6 series of Apple Watch in the market and it is still currently regarded as among the best. Looking at the recently released series, it is easy to understand why. It has the look, function, and convenience you will be looking for on a fitness wearable and more.
However, it does come with a hefty price tag. The question now becomes, why should you choose the more expensive Apple Watch over the affordable Amazon Halo? To answer this, continue reading down below.
Apple Watch Key Features
- Read messages and wrist notifications
- Workout tracking
- ECG readings
- GPS tracking
- Heart rate monitoring
- Fitness tracking
Apple Membership
The current operating system on the Apple Watch is the WatchOS. The OS does come free when you purchase the Apple Watch and when there are new updates, you can update it for free just like an iPhone or a Macbook as long as your device is compatible.
The WatchOS interface has a home screen, also known as carousel. It is composed of application icons that are circular in shape. These can be zoomed in and out using the Digital crown. Each app can be launched by simply tapping the icons.
When it comes to fitness tracking, Apple offers the health app where you can find data about heart rate, menstrual cycle, emergency contacts, and sleep duration. This app comes free on the WatchOS operating system. It is also free on iOS mobile devices.
However, Apple is set to offer membership for Fitness+ by the end of 2020. It is an at-home fitness service that will provide world-class workouts in the comforts of your home for $9.99 monthly. To avail of this service, you will need to have an Apple Watch that is series 3 and above and an iPhone.
Apple Watch Benefits
An Apple Watch is not just a fitness wearable; it is a status symbol. By simply looking at it, you will already appreciate its luxurious and elegant design. It also has a wide range of bands made of different types of materials and designs to allow you to make your Apple Watch as unique as possible.
However, what separates Apple Watch from other fitness wearables is its killer features. Let’s start with the fitness-related features. The recently released series has a standout blood oxygen reading feature. With its new sensor, it can measure the oxygen levels in your blood. This is also known as SpO2.
The Apple Watch Series 6 uses the same technology as a pulse oximeter in its blood oxygen reading feature. The SpO2 sensor lights up on your skin and measures your blood’s color to identify the level of oxygen present. So far, this is the only fitness wearable that has this feature.
Another notable feature on the Apple Watch is its always-on Altimeter. This allows users to check the outdoor and indoor elevation in real-time easily. The device gathers data from nearby Wifi networks, GPS, and barometric pressure sensors to pinpoint the exact location and provide you with elevation data on the spot. So, if you are a hiker, you will find that this is a very useful feature.
The Apple Watch also now has sleep tracking capabilities. Although Apple might be late in coming up with a sleep tracking feature, they are doing a good job. The sleep tracking provides you with information on your average bedtime and sleep time. The nice thing about it is that it is present in a very straightforward graph that is easy to comprehend for anybody.
Wait, there’s more. The Apple Watch Series 6 has additional health features such as ECG readings and irregular heart rhythm notification. It can also treat menstrual cycles and provide emergency medical SOS.
Aside from that, Apple Watch also offers optimized features for families. The Family Setup feature on the WatchOS 7 enables families with older members and kids who do not have iPhones to benefit from the fitness features, safety, and connectivity of the devices. Family users can take advantage of the Emergency SOS, personalization, and personalization capabilities.
Apple Pro’s
- OLED display
- GPS
- Accelerometer
- Heart Rate Monitor
- 18 hours of battery life
- Phone call capacity
Apple Con’s
- Battery life is shorter than the Amazon Halo
- Quite Expensive
If you are looking for something that is more than just a wearable fitness device and you have the budget to spare, the Apple Watch might just be the best choice for you. It allows you to enjoy various powerful features beyond just tracking health and fitness. It is integrated with other Apple products as well, making it very easy to use.
Final Verdict: When should you pick the Amazon Halo or the Apple Watch?
The Amazon Halo and the Apple Watch are at a different spectrum regarding price points and capabilities.
The Amazon Halo can be a perfect choice if you only want fitness-related features. Its introductory price is only $65, and its regular price is $100. It has all the basic fitness tracking capabilities you will need; temperature sensor and heart rate monitoring.
Furthermore, the capabilities of the Amazon Halo is expanded using the Halo App. The app will allow you to see various data such as sleep, activity, and tone. Most importantly, it can help you calculate your body fat figures accurately to provide you with better health status information.
When you compare it directly to the Apple Watch, it has a significantly longer battery life. It can last upto 7 days when the microphone is turned off and 2 days when it is consistently turned on. This is way longer than Apple’s 18 single charge battery life.
However, an Apple Watch is an excellent choice if you do not just want a wearable that specifically for fitness tracking. Apple watch has phone call capabilities. It will also allow you to view text messages and stream music, so it is definitely more than just a fitness tracker.
In addition, the fitness tracking capabilities of the Apple Watch is also very advanced. It has unique blood oxygen tracking and comprehensive activity and sleep monitoring features as well. It also has a more optimized family setup that can be very useful in modern times.
The nice thing about it is that you don’t have to pay for extra membership fees to gain access to these data. You can also benefit from Apple’s WatchOS updates in the next few years to improve your watch’s function. This allows you to use the Apple Watch for a long period without being dated.
In terms of design, the Amazon Halo vs. the Apple Watch are so different from each other. Amazon does not have a screen. Meanwhile, Apple has a sleek and efficient OLED display, one of the major reasons it is more expensive than Amazon.
Apple does take personalization a step higher than Amazon. They offer a wider range of band colors, designs, and materials, while Amazon only has fabric bands that are not ideal for everybody.
Ultimately, the deciding factor is your budget and preference. Both are excellent choices with wide ranges of capabilities. The Amazon Halo is a fantastic standard fitness wearable while the Apple Watch will likely remain as the best choice for those who want more power and diverse features.
