Two years ago, tech founder Avi Schiffmann launched Friend, an AI wearable designed to combat loneliness by sending users text messages about their day. This week, the company unveiled a major overhaul of the product, introducing a significant upgrade: a built-in voice.
“Introducing friend 2.0,” Schiffmann tweeted on Thursday. The new version features a speaker that projects a unique and consistent personality, aiming to make interactions feel more natural and engaging.
A new commercial for the wearable depicts a woman confiding in her Friend about an ex-girlfriend, with the necklace responding, “It’s not bad to be gay.” The video then shifts to a man on a hillside discussing his filmmaking ambitions; the necklace encourages him, saying, “That last film you made was insane!”
The retail price for this enhanced version is $249 — a steep increase from the original $99 price tag. While the device’s primary function remains conversational, its broader utility is still unclear. In a recent post on X, Schiffmann elaborated on the product’s vision: “I am interested in this kind of relationship… some kind of confidant, friend, God — not really sure what it is. But it is not an assistant, and it is not a lover.”
Selling a plastic, algorithm-driven necklace with hints of divinity is undoubtedly bold marketing. The company has a history of provocative campaigns: last year, Friend’s New York City subway billboards went viral after being repeatedly defaced, likely by critics wary of replacing human connection with a digital amulet.
In 2026, the AI wearable market remains niche. Friend’s closest competitor, Humane Inc., shut down its business in less than a year after its AI pin failed to gain traction. Whether Friend can avoid a similar fate — despite its higher price and abstract value proposition — remains to be seen.
via TechCrunch AI