Amazon is canceling its Halo fitness tracker device, a setback for a company that has long been known for keeping a finger on the pulse of consumers.
The e-commerce company said Wednesday that it will stop supporting the functional devices on July 31, a move that will also cost some employees their jobs. In January, Amazon announced that it would close 18,000 employeesAnd moved an additional shed in March 9,000 workers.
Amazon said in a statement on Wednesday that customers who purchased Halo products in the previous 12 months are entitled to a full refund for their purchase, including subscription fees.
Amazon is shutting down its fitness and health tracking brand just three years after launching it. At the time, the company billed the products and services as “AI-powered health tools” that could monitor activity and sleep, measure body fat and provide users with information about their health.
But Amazon faced significant competition in the fitness and health tracking segment from companies including Apple, Garmin and Google-owned Fitbit.
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In its statement Wednesday, Amazon defended its progress in health tracking technology “At Amazon, we think big, test and invest in new ideas like Amazon Hello in our effort to delight customers,” the company said.
The Amazon Halo View and Amazon Halo Band bracelet fitness trackers, including the Amazon Halo Rise, along with a sleep tracking stand, will stop working on August 1. Users can delete or download the data the devices have collected Keep it, according to Amazon.
Halo is the latest unit to get the ax as Amazon tries to cut costs amid concerns about slow online sales and a broader economic slowdown. Among other cuts, the company has discontinued its hybrid virtual, in-home care service Amazon Care, video calling device Amazon Glow and scaled back its Scout delivery program in recent months.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.