On Tuesday, September 28, 2021, Amazon unveiled a slew of new tech products at their yearly fall product showcase. From new smart doorbells to a new smart thermostat, to the Amazon Echo Show 15, Amazon caught the eyes of many people during the event. But no new product unveiled caught the attention of consumers and companies the way Astro did. Amazon’s Astro, the company’s first at-home robot companion that can recognize faces, play music, talk, and even grab you a drink. Yes, you read that correctly, it can grab you a drink if you’d like it too. 

While the robot brings many entertaining and helpful uses to its owner, it is more prominently advertised as a safety bot. Yahoo Life writer Kyle Tribble says that Astro can “learn the layout and names of rooms in your home, recognize familiar faces and surveil your abode and even provide live updates while you’re out”. So, it is pretty much a guard dog and a security camera all in one. Although, it is said it can also recognize your dog’s face too!  Of course, Astro can play music, give you the weather, and read you the daily game scores. The bot can also display voice calls which enables you to chat with friends or discuss business deals on the go. It is also equipped with a cup holder on the side to carry your favorite drink beverage to you whenever you’d like. 

RepublicWorld.com details that the bot “comes with a one-year limited warranty and requires an active Amazon account to operate” and that the “device supports iPhones running on iOS 13 or higher and Android smartphones running on version 8 or higher.” Astro is equipped with two front speakers, an HD touchscreen front display, a small front camera, and a Type-C port as well. The bot supports dual-band Wi-Fi and A2DP support for streaming with the bot and a companion device also. While Astro is said to be able to track your whereabouts and information via camera, you can turn it off at any time and the information is not tracked by Amazon’s main servers.

The robot will be available some time later this year for a starting price of $999. Amazon does plan however to increase the price to $1499 in the future. The downside besides the hefty price? The only way to purchase one is by signing up for an email invite, which when received will allow you to purchase the robot. To do this one must first visit Amazon’s page. However, Astro has been said to be limited in quantities and is sure to sell out with the huge attention received by tech fans these past few weeks. While the robot looks fantastic and seems to be a step in the future of modern technology, there are many sceptics as to the brevity of the robot’s features. Now whether or not the robot will be a successful product for Amazon? Only time and consumer satisfaction will tell.