Amazon launched its Halo fitness watch last year, but the retail giant is not stopping there. The company is blazing full steam ahead in the fitness market with its second fitness tracker, the Halo View, and a subscription service to rival Apple’s Fitness+. How does Amazon’s Halo Fitness service compare to Apple Fitness+? We highlight the significant features of Halo Fitness and walk you through some of the similarities and differences between the two services.
Apple Fitness+ versus Halo Fitness: Playback support
Working out when you want and where you want is key to making exercise a part of your daily routine. This ease of access is where Apple Fitness+ shines for iOS users. You can work out with Apple Fitness+ using your iPhone, iPad, and even on the big screen using Apple TV. Whether at home with your Apple TV or traveling with just your iPhone, you can keep up with your workouts.
Halo Fitness is integrated into the Halo mobile app (iOS and Android) and is much more limited in its ability for playback on a big screen. You can stream the workouts to a TV if you have a screen-casting solution for the Halo app. The feature is not supported natively with a television-centric app like Apple Fitness on Apple TV. The Halo app also is not available on tablets.
This category is a toss-up. We like the screen options available on Apple Fitness+, but appreciate having a cross-platform solution from Halo Fitness.
Apple Fitness+ versus Halo Fitness: Smartwatch or tracker
Both Apple Fitness+ and Halo Fitness work best when connected to a wrist-based fitness tracker. Apple is the clear winner in this category, with the Apple Watch offering more than just fitness tracking. The Apple Watch is a full-featured smartwatch with support for apps, music, navigation, and more. You can send and receive phone calls and text messages right from the watch. It’s also a fitness tracker with an integrated heart rate monitor and, in some models, a pulse oximeter. As a smartwatch and fitness tracker, the Apple Watch can help keep you productive and healthy simultaneously.
The Halo View is a fitness band with a small display; it’s not a full-fledged smartwatch. As a result, the tracker is focused more on improving your health and fitness than streamlining your schedule. It can track essential health metrics such as your daily activity, sleep, heart rate, blood oxygen level, and skin temperature. Like most fitness bands, you can receive notifications from incoming messages, emails, and similar alerts. You only can view incoming alerts and must grab your phone if you need to respond.
We give this category to Apple Fitness+ for its extensive feature list and interactivity.
Apple Fitness+ versus Halo Fitness: Workouts
The Apple Fitness+ library continues to grow slowly and steadily with regular additions of new content. The service also makes the occasional significant leap forward. Recently, Apple added group workouts, Pilates exercises, and guided meditation sessions to accompany its cardio and strength training workouts. The company also offers a unique Time to Walk series that invites users to walk alongside celebrities or other notable figures.
Halo Fitness is a newcomer with a smaller exercise library than its competition. It covers all major exercises, including cardio, strength, yoga, outdoor, and stretching activities. The service may have fewer workouts, but thanks to trainers like Elena Cheung and celebrities like actress Halle Berry, it has some superstar power. They bring their expertise and name recognition to the service.
Apple Fitness+ gets the nod when it comes to the workout library for its diverse and growing selection of workouts.
Apple Fitness+ versus Halo Fitness: Hardware pricing
With a price tag of $79, which includes one year of Halo Fitness, the Halo View is much cheaper than the Apple Watch. Apple Fitness+, on the other hand, integrates with an Apple Watch Series 3 or later model running WatchOS 7.2. Apple still sells the Watch Series 3, but its comparatively high starting price of $199 is a significant detractor. The Series 3 was introduced in 2017 and is a bit outdated. You also can use a more recent Apple Watch, but the latest Apple Watch Series 7 starts at $399.
Amazon gets the edge here as its Halo Fitness service connects to the very affordable Halo View fitness band.
Apple Fitness+ versus Halo Fitness: Subscription costs
Buying a fitness tracker to monitor your health is only part of the cost. Both Apple Fitness+ and Halo Fitness require a monthly subscription. Apple is known for its premium and often pricey content, so it’s not surprising that Halo Fitness is more affordable than its Apple counterpart.
Halo Fitness is part of the larger Halo Subscription service, which is free for one year with the purchase of a Halo View fitness band. After the 12-month promotional period, customers can expect to pay $3.99 per month for the Halo services. Not only do subscribers get access to Halo Fitness, but they also can access Halo Nutrition. This nutritional component includes recipes from companies like WW (formerly Weight Watchers) and Amazon-owned Whole Foods. You can make meal plans and even create an Alexa shopping list using the ingredients from those recipe choices.
Apple Fitness is more expensive, but you do have the opportunity to try it before you buy it. Apple offers a one-month trial of Fitness+ for new subscribers and a THREE-month trial when you purchase an Apple Watch. After the trial ends, though, Fitness+ costs $9.99 per month or $79.99 annually. Fitness+ is bundled into the all-in-one Apple One Premier subscription, which includes six Apple services. For $29.95 per month, an individual can access Apple Music, TV+, Arcade, iCloud+, News+, and Fitness+. They also can share this subscription with up to five other people.
Verdict: Apple Fitness+ or Halo Fitness?
It’s a toss-up between Apple Fitness+ and Halo Fitness. Apple Fitness+ has a more extensive exercise library, but Halo Fitness is cross-platform, working on both iOS and Android. It all comes down to the devices that you use. Apple Fitness+ appeals to those who have iPhones, iPad, and other Apple devices. It works seamlessly across those devices in the Apple ecosystem.
If you are not into Apple, you probably won’t enjoy Fitness+. Those who own a variety of devices across different platforms would do well with Halo Fitness. The service works on both iOS and Android devices, allowing you to work out on your iPad, follow up on your Android device, and track everything on your Amazon Halo View fitness band. This versatility is vital for those who don’t like to be tied down to a single platform.
