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Amazon’s Astro for Business security robot was scheduled to stop working on September 25, 2024, less than a year after its November 2023 launch. Amazon said it was ending the business program to focus on home robotics. The “useless brick” description captures the loss of the robot’s service, but the shutdown applied to Astro for Business—not the separate consumer home model.
What happened to Astro for Business?
Amazon introduced Astro for Business on November 15, 2023, as a mobile security device for small and medium-sized US businesses. On July 3, 2024, GeekWire reported that Amazon had notified customers the robots would stop functioning on September 25, 2024. That is about ten months from the public launch to the scheduled shutdown.
Amazon’s notice, as quoted by GeekWire, said the device would no longer function and personal data would be deleted from it. Amazon also encouraged owners to recycle the robots through its recycling program. The shutdown was for the business product; it did not mean Amazon had announced the end of its distinct home Astro robot. GeekWire’s shutdown report and Ars Technica’s coverage describe the customer notice and timing.
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Astro for Business was designed to move through a business interior rather than watch from one fixed camera position. Amazon said it could map spaces of up to 5,000 square feet. Its announced capabilities included remote viewing and control, two-way talk, an HD periscope camera with night vision, and alerts for unrecognized people. Those were launch claims, not independent performance-test results. Amazon’s November 2023 announcement describes the product and its advertised capabilities.
#1 Best Overall
- Remote Control, Mobile View: Drive EBO SE mobile robot camera to find your pets or check on family. Navigate through different rooms from anywhere and stay connected to every corner of your daily life
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The robot’s advertised functions were tied to separate services, so its starting hardware price did not represent the full cost of the announced security setup. The following are launch-era US prices reported in Amazon’s announcement, not current offers:
| Item or service | Launch-era price | Role described at launch |
|---|---|---|
| Astro for Business device | $2,349.99 starting price | Mobile robot and camera hardware |
| Astro Secure | $60 per month | Autonomous patrols, customized routes, and sound alerts such as glass breaking or smoke/CO alarms |
| Ring Protect Pro | $20 per month | Video history and integration with Ring Alarm sensors |
| Virtual Security Guard | $99 per month | Optional human response service: Rapid Response agents could view live footage and remotely navigate the robot to investigate alerts, with emergency-service contact if needed |
Amazon’s launch offer included four months of Ring Protect Pro and Astro Secure. Virtual Security Guard could be added only with both subscriptions. GeekWire summarized the three monthly services at a maximum of $179 per month; that figure excludes the device price and reflects the launch-era service prices and eligibility conditions.
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Why did Amazon end the business program?
Amazon’s stated reason was a shift in priorities, not a publicly established technical failure or financial result. Lindo St. Angel, Amazon Devices vice president, wrote in an internal email quoted by GeekWire: “I am increasingly convinced the progress we’re making in home robotics is where we should focus our resources. To do this, and accelerate our progress further, we’ve made the decision to wind down the Astro for Business program to focus our efforts entirely on building the best consumer robotics products for the home.”
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Amazon did not disclose how many customers were affected, and the cited reporting does not establish total units sold, the number of businesses using the devices, or an independently measured performance record. Those unknowns make it impossible to draw a firm conclusion about how commercially successful or unsuccessful the product was.
Rank #3
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What happened to customers’ devices, fees, and video?
According to GeekWire’s account of Amazon’s customer notice, the company offered affected customers refunds for the device, a $300 credit toward replacement workplace security, and refunds for unused prepaid Astro Secure fees. These were reported transition terms for Astro for Business customers, not a general current offer.
Amazon said personal data would be deleted from the robot when service ended. Patrol or investigation videos already recorded could remain available in the Ring app only until the relevant video-storage period expired or the customer’s Ring Protect subscription ended. The robot’s shutdown therefore did not mean every previously recorded clip was erased immediately, nor did the notice promise permanent access to footage.
Rank #4
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- Voice Commands Enabled - The EMO robot comes with a series of built-in voice commands, you can talk and play with EMO like with a real pet. And with the ability to connect to network and powered by ChatGPT, you can have more complex conversations with EMO like talking to a tech-savvy friend who’s always up for a chat
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- Endless Fun - The EMO robot features with multiple sensors built-in to bring more interactions with you, you can rub it, shake it and even “shoot” it with finger gesture, making it feel like you’re playing with a real pet. It even “gets sick” with weather changes, so you can care for it like you would a furry friend
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Could owners convert it into the home Astro?
The business model was not officially convertible into Amazon’s consumer home Astro. Customer reporting described a separate invitation to purchase the home model, which is not the same as a general offer or a conversion path. The business and home products should be treated as distinct devices and programs.
What did Amazon say about privacy?
In its launch announcement, Amazon said owners could turn off the microphones, cameras, and motion with one button, set out-of-bounds zones, and that the business device did not retain voice recordings. These are the company’s stated privacy controls and practices; the announcement is not independent verification of how the product handled data in operation.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Personality: Add a little color and a splash of style to your Amazon Astro with these wheel graphics, with 3 designs included in each set, change up Astro’s look whenever you like.
- Variety: Several designs, colors and styles to choose from. Something for everyone
- Installation: Installing these skins is a breeze, just peel and stick.
- Quality: IT’S A SKIN skins are manufactured in the USA from the highest grade repositionable air release vinyl available with a protective matte laminate finish. Does not damage or interfere with any Astro functionality.
- Fun: These skins will make it fun for the family to dress up your Astro in different looks. Easy to remove, no sticky residue
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
