Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I was offered an invite to participate in the early use of this product. I got the product, but was then slightly put off by what I was reading and learning from other early trial people, and now that I've tried it for a couple of days, I can see where I would have been better off not trying this product. === Updated 25 Feb 2021 === Received a happy email that my Halo subscription trial (free) has been extended to September 13, 2021! Unfortunately, I returned the Halo band with substantial disappointment, but I had been assured by Amazon support that the sub would cancel automatically when I returned it. So another F. Can we go negative on stars? Really disappointed, though I would have been livid if I had been charged for it, so I guess the email leading me to check beforehand, while a waste of time, saves me more frustration later. === Updated 26 Jan 2021 === Shipped back to Amazon on 25 Jan. Given the quality of the hardware, I would take a look at whatever they come up with next, but Amazon should seriously consider the software user experience and perhaps an open platform (hint: AWS IoT is already a thing). === Update 21 Jan 2021 === I have had the Halo band on my right wrist daily and nearly continuously since cracking open the package. I had high hopes then, but no longer. Software for some might be great, but perhaps because I'm a software engineer and I've actually done some minor work with quantified self devices, or maybe it's my experience with more capable smart "sports watch" devices, but I'm not impressed at all with the direction the Halo software team went with this. So on the software side - Sleep tracking is hit or miss, mostly miss (I literally get "--" most of the time) - The activity score is interesting, but not really useful - If you're opting in to the Tone and Body Composition features, that's 50% of the application home screen view that is never used. - I have never used any of the other Programs, and as I planned not to continue using the paid service, I continue to not be interested in checking them out. - The Insights panel leads to some somewhat useful information sometimes, but I think in general that the Halo application is trying too hard to lead its user down a path (I think this is why my sleep data is not useful). The hardware is good. I would keep this band if the hardware: - were documented - had open tools to access (maybe that's more a software feature, but technically I want to make my own software to make use of the hardware, so it goes here) - had swapped out the mics for blood pressure and/or pulseox measurement (the times we live in, not having these at this price point is ... tone deaf?) - had a more substantial charger (as I mentioned, the charger is slick and unwieldy, and while it does the job, it feels like it will break soon, though kudos on battery life of the band so the charger isn't used too often) Finally part 1, after my initial review, wherein someone from Amazon called me TWICE right after I woke up in the morning (unsolicited, unappreciated, and somewhat creepy on the timing), I have received almost zero feedback on this device, despite my being in some sort of "early group" or something. It was difficult to provide any feedback other the review channel here, and with the scant number of Halo mobile application updates, I find myself doubting there will be any improvement coming on the horizon. Finally part 2, downloading the data is cumbersome where it doesn't need to be. If I had confidence that this product would be around for a while, I would almost keep the hardware for the real time heart rate and the temperature readings, except that that makes the band about 2x the price it needs to be for those uses, and I still have to go through the download click, wait, email click, email code, download loop. So, my return cutoff is 31 January, it will be headed back to Amazon before then. A solid first try on the hardware, a swing and a miss on the software, and shaking my head on the data download workflow. === Update 17 Dec 2030 === Generic copy-paste support responses with platitudes about me being a valued customer that end with boilerplate requests that I contact support via chat or voice... Returning the product, I liked the hardware, completely disappointed otherwise. === Update 16 Dec 2020 === Emailed via the "Feedback" part of the mobile application (there are two options, email and phone, given). Received an email response, with suggestions that I use a chat link or call for support... these are the normal Amazon support chat and phone support endpoints so I'm not eager to spend more of my life using these. The fatal flaw, though, the email I received, from an email sender+xyz address (that is, the sender address has a +xyz value, where the xyz is usually a key for tracking an issue ticket, etc), is actually a "Do Not Reply" email address. I got an automatic reply, that the response I sent went nowhere. I always find this insulting, as I have here. The data download has two major problems: 1. You "request" your data. In other words, you aren't holding on to your data, Amazon is. The data sync's from band to mobile device, then mobile device to cloud, and is presumably removed from mobile device. This is unfriendly at best. 2. When you receive an email message that your data is ready, that message will contain a link to your data. But you must first enter a 6-digit code, which is sent in a separate email message, to the same email address. This is what we software people call "security theater." I have only downloaded one data set so far, the downloaded zip file is not named by date, so presumably the same filename is used for any downloads (this is a problem if you have multiple users sharing a computer, perhaps, or if my download scheme allows file overwriting), so I'll find out next time in a day or two whether the data that I download is ALL data, or incremental data (if it is not incremental, then one might assume that some time in the future the oldest data will be truncated?) I have my package materials, there's >50% chance the Halo Band, which I actually like, is going back due to the software and soft features implementation, which I so far do not. === Update 15 Dec 2020 === The charging clip is similar to a clothespin and works fine, but for the very smooth surfaces on the side opposite the "clip" such that more than once the charger either snaps back onto the band as the whole thing is launched out of my hands, or it simply launches without clipping... the charger needs some sort of friction texture (not unlike a clothespin again). I have worn the band for full days (I have the default cloth band so not during showering), it is comfortable, unobtrusive (unlike the software), and since it doesn't have any visible display, does not raise any ire when worn with a watch on the opposite wrist. Speaking of unobtrusive, I did receive two phone calls this morning from James at Amazon, concerning this review. Strangely, the calls came only a few minutes after the Halo Band captured my waking up. I forgot to add "DO NOT CALL ME" to the review, a mistake I will not make again. === Original 13 Dec 2020 === First, the hardware is fine. I have a smart watch, and I have a "smart sport watch" that I wear for exercise and quantified self measurements, the minimalist approach here is interesting for things like sleep tracking, for all-day wearing regardless of which watch (or no watch) which means it can be useful to me as part of an overall quantified self effort, so actually see what is working and what isn't as I make quality of life choices. (I should point out here, as an engineer I have learned many times the value of having data to back up and/or correct assumptions, these kinds of quantified self products have a place, if you are someone interested in this entire notion) The 1-star review is for the overall product, which essentially comes down to the software and design thinking around the user experience. Keeping it simple: Pros ----- + Simple and straightforward pairing, data capture + Nice summary and detail reporting + Data downloadable + The "labs" feature might be useful for some, though I do not find it appealing. I'll include it as a Pro just in case. Cons ------ - The Camera-based body composition feature is a non-starter, as has been pointed out in many (if not most) of the reviews I encountered early on. The presumption that a person wants this to be a part of how they will use this product (even though it is opt-in, and fwiw, I did not) is a Miss. - The voice tone feature is ridiculous. I didn't even turn it on, I have zero desire to explore this feature. The audio capture feature of the hardware should be used for sleep quality analysis (snoring, etc), not for voice tone checks. Miss. - As a software engineer in a work-from-home mode, my daily routine does not align with what Halo thinks it should be. Nocturnal sleep schedule? Bi- or Polyphasic sleep schedule? Nap much? Sorry, Halo only counts sleep overnight. Big Miss. - Along a similar line, my activity score gets deductions for being sedentary, but unfortunately I work (at a standing desk, which doesn't count) and then I exercise (and exceed the usual "heart point" targets we find in apps like this), but here again, I don't align with Halo's expectations (demands?). Another Miss. - App data doesn't (yet) appear to sync with your general quantified health platform (google fit, for example). Perhaps this would change more easily than re-envisioning an entire set of lifestyle assumptions that drove some bad feature and interface decisions, but for the moment, Halo is a Silo that can spit out a spreadsheet. Miss. - While I can "Request Download" of my data, I shouldn't need to do that. This makes the Halo Silo that much more menacing. If the Halo band is syncing data with my mobile device, let me me see my data. Oh, it's syncing with the cloud and I have to ask to see my data... that's another Miss. I will happily update this review if the Halo software improves. I like the hardware for what it is, if I could get my data easily I would use the hardware and keep the software out of my life as much as possible. Maybe check a rolling 24-hour window instead of the typical midnight-aligned notion that most health apps use, or maybe I want to look at my sleep data in my own way... Given my own experience with quantified self (with my two smart watches, associated applications to manage and analyze data from them, and then other sensors and record-keeping for diet and other health measurements), the Halo product overall is a [possibly-recoverable, yet] complete failure.