The Amazon Astro has been in the hands of reviewers for a few weeks now, and the verdict appears to be in: the Astro is an adorable (and expensive) piece of tech that is still searching for its true purpose. Keep in mind, however, that as a Day 1 Edition product, the Astro is meant to be seen as an ever-evolving piece of technology that will improve in the future as customer feedback is received. Until then, consumers might find the final $1,450 price tag hard to swallow. Check out what reviewers are saying:
From The Verge: Too Much Alexa, Not Enough Arms (Jennifer Pattison Tuohy)
Astro is an Amazon Day 1 Edition product, which means it’s still a work in progress. Initially, at least, that work needs to come on the software side. I didn’t run into many bugs or quirks, other than a few times Astro didn’t hear me very well and some Routines I set up that only triggered sporadically. But I also didn’t find a truly compelling use for Astro that was worth its $1,000-plus price tag. MORE@THE VERGE
From Fast Company: Amazon’s Astro robot tries too hard yet doesn’t do enough (Jared Newman)
As with everything else Astro does, all of this just requires a lot of thinking and planning and foresight, which runs counter to the idea that smart homes are supposed to eliminate hassle. While I’m sure some people will delight in tinkering with Astro and pushing its boundaries, for me it became yet another gadget to accommodate with little clear payoff in return, a highly sophisticated example of tech for tech’s sake. MORE@FAST COMPANY
From Tech Crunch: Even Amazon can’t quite figure out what Astro is for (Haje Jan Kamps)
It’s been fun to have Astro wandering about my apartment for a few days, and most of the time I seemed to use it as a roving boom box that also has Alexa capabilities. That’s cute, and all, but $1,000 would buy Alexa devices for every thinkable surface in my room and leave me with enough cash left over to cover the house in cameras. I simply continue to struggle with why Astro makes sense. But then, that’s true for any product that is trying to carve out a brand new product category. MORE@TECHCRUNCH
From CNET: Amazon Astro Review: It’s Cute, But Not Yet Worth It (David Priest)
In its capacity as an investment by Amazon in the consumer robotics space, Astro is a fascinating device with a whole lot of personality and promise. But as a product you can buy and use in your house right now, it simply lacks the utility or clear identity to make it worth the price. MORE@CNET
