After a year of its release, Amazon discontinues Amazon Glow, its video-calling and gaming device for kids. Bloomberg broke the news of the discontinuation with the confirmation of Amazon. The device was directed toward kids aged 3-9 to stay connected remotely to their loved ones, which is no longer available on Amazon’s website.
Amazon Glow was developed during the pandemic to ease the distance between kids and their loved ones. It was a part of the original hardware products by Amazon, like Astro and Echo. Last year in September, at Amazon’s annual hardware event, the company announced an atypical z-shaped product known as Amazon Glow that could perform video calling along with games.
The device provides a 19.2-inch projected graphics screen that responds to touch to enjoy hands-on activities like games, and adults can join in for a fun interactive video call. The Amazon Kids+ subscription was necessary at the starting cost of $4.99 per month to access Glow. Amazon Glow combines the experience of a game system, an art and craft center, and a children’s library with interactive video chat.
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Originally the device was priced at $300 and only available by invitation, but by the start of 2022 in late March, Amazon decided to make it available to the public. Over six months after the public rollout, now the company is stopping the selling of Amazon Glow.
Amazon spokesperson Tim Gillman stated, “At Amazon, we think big, experiment, and invest in new ideas to delight customers. We also continually evaluate the progress and potential of our products to deliver customer value, and we regularly make adjustments based on those assessments. We will be sharing updates and guidance with Glow customers soon,” indicating no reason is unveiled for the discontinuation for now. However, Amazon will bring more information to Amazon Glow customers soon.
