Friend re-launches its AI pendant with a speaker that talks to you, for twice the price
The controversial AI wearable Friend is back with a new built-in speaker for voice interactions, but it now costs nearly twice as much as before.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Friend has re-launched its AI pendant featuring a newly added built-in speaker.
- The updated device can now speak back to users instead of only replying via text messages.
- The price has nearly doubled, jumping from the original $129 to $249.
After previously making headlines for spending 1.8 million dollars of its 2.5 million dollar funding to acquire friend.com and plastering NYC subway cars with advertisements for artificial companionship, the controversial AI wearable Friend has made its return. Despite receiving widespread backlash upon its initial debut, the company is moving forward with a fresh hardware revision.
The company released a new advertisement showing two individuals discussing personal life problems with their Friend pendants, quietly debuting a major hardware upgrade: a speaker. While the original iteration could only message users back in text form, the new version is capable of actually talking out loud to the user.
However, this new voice capability comes at a steep financial cost to consumers. The wearable, which originally retailed for 129 dollars, now carries a price tag of 249 dollars, effectively doubling the cost for the addition of a speaker. This re-launch arrives roughly nine months after a large-scale protest against Friend took place in New York City, where demonstrators gathered to protest society's growing dependence on technology.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Doubling the price for a simple hardware addition like a speaker highlights the heavy financial and operational pressures facing consumer AI hardware startups. While public skepticism regarding emotional attachment to AI companions remains high, adding voice output represents a critical strategic shift toward creating a more immersive, conversational assistant experience rather than a text-bound gadget.
Avi Schiffmann, the founder of Friend, shared a post on social media showcasing the new ad and referring to the device as "Friend 2.0," although the official website continues to list the product simply under the name "Friend." It remains to be seen whether public reception will be warmer this time around.
Source: The Verge
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