Friend, the lonely AI wearable, returns with a new voice and a much bigger price tag
Quick Answer
The upgraded Friend 2.0 AI wearable now features a built-in speaker and a price of $249, up from $99.
Quick Take
It aims to provide companionship rather than serve as an assistant, though its practical applications remain vague.
Key Points
- Friend 2.0 introduces a unique voice feature for enhanced user interaction.
- The retail price has increased significantly from $99 to $249.
- Avi Schiffmann describes the device as a confidant, not an assistant or lover.
- Previous AI wearables have struggled to gain mainstream acceptance.
- Friend's marketing strategy includes bold claims about companionship.
DeepSignal Analysis
What happened
The Friend 2.0 AI wearable has been upgraded to include a built-in speaker and is now priced at $249, significantly higher than its initial launch price of $99. The device is designed to provide companionship rather than act as a digital assistant, although its specific functionalities remain unclear.
Key evidence
- Friend 2.0 features a built-in speaker that allows it to project a unique personality, enhancing user interaction.
- The price of Friend 2.0 is set at $249, a substantial increase from the original price of $99 when it launched two years ago.
- The product's creator, Avi Schiffmann, describes Friend not as an assistant or a lover, but as a potential confidant or friend.
Why it matters
The shift in pricing and functionality raises questions about market demand for AI wearables aimed at combating loneliness. Previous attempts in this space, such as Humane Inc.'s AI pin, have struggled, indicating a challenging landscape for new entrants. The marketing strategy, which hints at deeper emotional connections, may attract interest but also invites skepticism about the product's true value.
What to watch
📖 Reader Mode
~2 min readTwo years ago, tech founder Avi Schiffmann launched Friend, an AI wearable that you could talk to, and that would send you text messages about your day. The idea, ostensibly, was to use artificial intelligence to combat loneliness. This week, the company announced a new overhaul of the product, introducing a noticeable upgrade: a voice.
“Introducing friend 2.0,” Schiffmann tweeted Thursday. Friend now comes with a built-in speaker that can project a unique and consistent personality to its user.
A new commercial for the wearable shows a woman wearing a Friend and talking to it about what is presumably her ex-girlfriend. “It’s not bad to be gay,” the necklace tells her.
The video then switches to a man standing on a hillside discussing his filmmaking ambitions with his Friend. “That last film you made was insane!” the necklace compliments him.
The new retail price for this enhanced version of Friend is $249, which is substantially higher than the $99 price tag it had when it initially launched two years ago.
What can you really do with your Friend other than chit chat about your day? That part is still unclear. In another recent post on X, Schiffmann expounded upon what he felt the whole point of his weird product actually is.
“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.”
Interesting! Selling a plastic, algorithm-based necklace to people by insinuating it might, in fact, be a deity, is pretty bold marketing.
Of course, Schiffmann’s company has engaged in bold marketing before. Friend’s billboard campaign in the New York City subway system last year went viral after they were continually defaced, presumably by people who didn’t want human connection to be replaced by a digitized amulet.
Most AI wearables have failed to catch on with the mainstream — at least so far. The offering most similar to Friend was Humane Inc., which sought to replace the iPhone with its AI pin but had to shut down its business in less than a year after poor sales.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
Lucas is a senior writer at TechCrunch, where he covers artificial intelligence, consumer tech, and startups. He previously covered AI and cybersecurity at Gizmodo. You can contact Lucas by emailing lucas.ropek@techcrunch.com.
— Originally published at techcrunch.com
Want this in your inbox every morning?
Daily brief at your local 8am — bilingual EN/中文, free.
More from TechCrunch
See more →
AI chip startup Etched defies skeptics, hits $10.3B valuation from big-name investors
AI chip startup Etched has achieved a $10.3 billion valuation after a $300 million Series C funding round, led by Sequoia and supported by notable investors like Andreessen Horowitz. The company claims to have developed innovative low-voltage chips for AI inference, significantly enhancing performance and reducing costs, with $1 billion in orders already booked.
