Amazon to Sell $2,350 Astro Robot for Businesses in Bid to Boost Interest
Amazon.com Inc. is introducing a $2,350 version of its Astro robot aimed at businesses, trying to find new life for a product that has been slow to take off with consumers.
The new model — designed to work as a rolling security guard — costs $750 more than the consumer version, which launched two years ago. It also comes with a $60-a-month subscription called Astro Secure, which Amazon says allows the robot to patrol areas on its own.
Since Amazon first unveiled the Astro in 2021, the company has promised a Jetsons-like vision of robots handling household tasks. The $1,600 wheeled device sports a flat screen and periscope camera, and can respond to Alexa voice commands. But Amazon has been slow to ship the robot in large quantities, and it's remained a niche product that many consumers don't even know about.
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With the new version, Amazon may have a clearer application: helping businesses keep an eye on their premises. Though the robot's hardware is similar to the original model, it can patrol 5,000 square feet (465 square meters), up from 3,500 on the consumer version.
The offering is part of a growing range of Amazon security services, an area that's become a key focus since the company bought the Ring smart doorbell maker in 2018. Amazon is selling a $20-a-month Ring Protect Pro feature for storing security footage and a $99-per-month option that can call emergency services if an issue is detected.
Taken together, the services will run about $180 a month — on top of an Astro price tag that will set businesses back thousands of dollars. That represents a particularly ambitious attempt by Amazon's hardware division to generate more recurring revenue.
Amazon began testing some of the
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