INTRODUCING ARO: THE FIRST CONNECTED DEVICE THAT RESULTS IN LESS SCREEN TIME AND MORE REAL LIFE

Aro's Smart Box and Companion App Use Technology and Habit-forming Psychology to Help Users Curb Smartphone Use

ATLANTA, June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aro Technology, Inc. is proud to introduce Aro: the first connected "smart box" that results in less screen time by helping users put down their phones and experience life uninterrupted. The Aro smart box holds up to four mobile phones, and paired with the Aro app, tracks time spent phone-free. The app measures trends and progress toward goals, helping users stay motivated to unplug by gamifying the experience. The Aro smart box even charges your phone while you recharge away from it.

Between checking email, responding to group texts, using apps – not to mention the persistent pull of social media – it's no surprise that 91% of people have their phone within arm's reach every day.¹

But for the times when people actually want to put their phones away, it's easier said than done. More than 63% of people have actively sought a solution to help limit usage of their phone.² Sheer willpower often isn't enough to resist the urge to scroll while having dinner or a conversation.

That's why Aro implements a two-fold solution: placing the phone into design forward designated space to help establish the habit, then reinforcing the habit with data, feedback and motivational coaching to encourage continuation. Users can set goals in the Aro app, track progress and even compete with families and friends. The real reward is how users spend their time phone-free.

Meet tech entrepreneurs Heath Wilson, former co-founder of eVestment (now a Nasdaq company), and Joey Odom, a former executive in commercial real estate, who share a core belief that phones are amazing but hard to put down. For the last several years, they've been on a mission to find a solution to putting phones down in order to spend quality time truly noticing the world around them.

"Our phones are great, but sometimes they can interrupt us from the real world in front of us," said Wilson. "We created Aro because we believe a little less phone equals a lot more life. And, we've seen the benefits in our own lives."

What started out as a passion project to help their own families create better phone habits quickly gained traction among others grappling with the same problem. The duo recognized the demand and decided to make their solution available to everyone – thus, Aro was born.

"We all want family dinner, that weekend getaway, time with a loved one, or even just 30 minutes reading a book, to be truly uninterrupted," said Odom. "That's our goal. It's not just about putting down your phone. It's about experiencing what's on the other side of that."

Aro works because it was built on the principle of habit formation, making it easy for users to put down their phones and gamifying time spent away. "While it seems simplistic in nature, we've spent years researching the psychology, hardware and technology needed to create a solution that practically and effectively helps with an issue that everyone is facing," said Wilson.

"The issue is not necessarily our phones, rather, it is our relationship with our phones," said Odom. "We are conditioned to keep our phones with us at all times, no matter the situation. We need a place other than our pockets to store our phones so we can truly engage with life. Aro is the solution."  

Aro's launch edition will ship in Fall 2022 and users can pre-order now. More information is available at GoAro.com.

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Aro Technology, Inc. was founded by Heath Wilson and Joey Odom in 2018 to help people experience life, uninterrupted. The term aro in Maori means "to notice or turn towards." That speaks to the purpose of Aro Technology and its signature products, the Aro smart box and companion app, which help people notice and turn towards real life by making it easy to put down their phones. Wilson's more than 20-year career was primarily spent at eVestment, a financial technology company he co-founded and ultimately sold to Nasdaq in 2017. Odom spent 15 years at Stan Johnson Company, one of the nation's leading commercial real estate brokerages and advisory firms as a multi-billion dollar producer. Aro is judgment-free, recognizing the significant value of a mobile phone while also helping people rediscover the world around them.

For More Information, Contact:
Brittany Thoms, 678.409.8140 
[email protected]
Kaci Pollack, 678.895.4488
[email protected]

SOURCE Aro