Friend AI wearable launches voice-enabled version at $249, double its original price

Avi Schiffmann's Friend, the AI wearable designed to help people feel less isolated, has undergone a significant reinvention. The latest version introduces a built-in speaker that gives the device an audible, consistent personality—a major shift from the text-only interactions the original offered.

What's New#

The refreshed Friend 2.0 now carries a retail price of $249, substantially more than the $99 entry point when the product debuted two years ago. The upgrade brings voice capabilities that let users have spoken conversations with their wearable companion, as showcased in promotional videos depicting people discussing personal struggles and ambitions with their necklace.

Schiffmann unveiled the changes this week, positioning the device as something more nuanced than a conventional AI assistant. "I am interested in this kind of relationship in attempting to offer, some kind of confidant, friend, God, not really sure what it is," Schiffmann said. "But it is not an assistant, and it is not a lover."

The Broader Context#

The Friend line joins a crowded landscape of consumer AI devices that have largely struggled to gain mainstream traction. Humane Inc., which created the AI pin as an iPhone alternative, shuttered its operations in less than a year due to weak sales and subsequently sold its assets to HP.

Friend itself has generated mixed reactions in the public sphere. The company's subway advertising campaign in New York last year became the subject of repeated vandalism, with critics apparently skeptical of technology as a substitute for human connection. Despite such friction, Schiffmann continues refining the product and expanding its capabilities, betting that voice interaction will better meet consumers' needs for digital companionship.