Amazon is discontinuing its kid-focused Glow smart display a year after its launch.
Amazon Glow came out of the company's Grand Challenge moonshot laboratory, and the combination video screen and projector allowed for virtual chats while reading, drawing, and playing games with far-flung friends and family. But lackluster sales means an early demise for Glow, according to Bloomberg
"At Amazon we think big, experiment, and invest in new ideas to delight customers," Amazon tells Bloomberg. "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."
In PCMag's review, our 4-year-old test helper loved playing with the Glow, but we said "the Glow's $300 price plus the requirement of a subscription (and the need for a phone or tablet) seems a little steep." If it were $150 and offered the option to use Glow functionality with just a smartphone, it would be "an absolute must-have," we argued.
Initially available by invitation only, Glow launched in September 2021 for an early-bird price of $249.99, before settling at $299.99 (including a mat, mat case, one year of Amazon Kids+, and the Tangram Bits puzzle game). Following a steep discount on Tuesday, Amazon Glow is currently unavailable on Amazon.com.
The move, Bloomberg notes, comes amid cost-saving measures like shuttering warehouses and freezing corporate hiring. Meanwhile, Amazon's Echo Glow—an Alexa-supported, Wi-Fi-enabled night-light designed for kids—is on sale for $16.99 ($29.99 MSRP).