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Friend AI pendant relaunches with voice, doubles price to $249

By PulseAugur Editorial · [9 sources] ·

Friend, the controversial AI companion device, has relaunched its pendant with an integrated speaker, allowing it to respond verbally instead of just via text. This second iteration, powered by OpenAI's latest models, also features a randomized voice and personality that users cannot change. The updated pendant comes with a higher price tag of $249, up from $129, and an optional $10 monthly subscription for extended conversation memory. AI

IMPACT This update makes AI companions more interactive but raises concerns about privacy and the nature of artificial companionship.

RANK_REASON Product update for an AI-adjacent wearable device.

Read on Mastodon — sigmoid.social →

AI-generated summary · Google Gemini · from 9 sources. How we write summaries →

Friend AI pendant relaunches with voice, doubles price to $249

How we ranked this

Signal score
0 / 100
Composite score across the factors below. Higher = stronger signal that this story matters right now.
Newsworthiness bucket
Tool
Product update for an AI-adjacent wearable device.
Source corroboration
9 independent sources
Strong cross-source corroboration — multiple independent publishers covered this within the clustering window.
Topics
product, model release
Editorial topic classification. Feeds into how the story surfaces on /topic/<slug> hub pages and into the per-entity coverage mix.
AI-industry relevance
High
Clearly on-topic for AI-industry coverage.
Story freshness
54 days old
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+1 source(s) since last score
New sources have picked up this story since our last re-score. Score will update on the next scoring pass.

Full methodology in our editorial standards.

COVERAGE [9]

  1. Wired — AI TIER_1 English(EN) · Boone Ashworth ·

    The New Friend AI Pendant Can Now Talk Back to You

    Avi Schiffmann has a new version of his controversial AI companion. It’s more expensive, and you can’t change its personality.

  2. The Verge — AI TIER_1 English(EN) · David Imel ·

    Friend re-launches its AI pendant with a speaker that talks to you, for twice the price

    Do you remember Friend? The Friend that launched an AI pendant, spent $1.8 million of its $2.5 million to acquire friend.com, and plastered the NYC subway with ads promoting artificial companionship? Yeah well, if you didn't remember, Friend is back. And now, it's twice the price…

  3. Mastodon — sigmoid.social TIER_1 English(EN) · [email protected] ·

    https://www. europesays.com/3166882/ Friend’s New Pendant Gives OpenAI’s Screenless Future a Voice # AI # AiInfrastructure # ArtificialIntelligence # DigitalTra

    https://www. europesays.com/3166882/ Friend’s New Pendant Gives OpenAI’s Screenless Future a Voice # AI # AiInfrastructure # ArtificialIntelligence # DigitalTransformation # News # PYMNTSNews # VoiceAI # Wearables

    LINKS europesays.com/3166882
  4. Mastodon — fosstodon.org TIER_1 English(EN) · [email protected] ·

    📰 That AI wearable you don't like just got worse The new Friend pendant features a speaker, updated models and the same off-putting ideas about how humans shoul

    📰 That AI wearable you don't like just got worse The new Friend pendant features a speaker, updated models and the same off-putting ideas about how humans should use AI. 📰 Source: Engadget - Technology News & Expert Reviews 🔗 Link: https://www.engadget.com/2227503/that-friend-ai-…

    LINKS engadget.com/…/that-friend-ai-wearable-yo…
  5. Mastodon — fosstodon.org TIER_1 English(EN) · [email protected] ·

    📰 Friend re-launches its AI pendant with a speaker that talks to you, for twice the price Do you remember Friend? The Friend that launched an AI pendant, spent

    📰 Friend re-launches its AI pendant with a speaker that talks to you, for twice the price Do you remember Friend? The Friend that launched an AI pendant, spent $1.8 million of its $2.5 million to acquire friend.com, and plastered the NYC subway with ads promoting artificial compa…

    LINKS theverge.com/…/friend-re-launches-its-ai-…
  6. Mastodon — mastodon.social TIER_1 English(EN) · sipirtu ·

    Friend’s AI pendant is back, now with a speaker and a $200 price tag. Wearable companions are getting louder, literally. Source: The Verge AI https://www. theve

    Friend’s AI pendant is back, now with a speaker and a $200 price tag. Wearable companions are getting louder, literally. Source: The Verge AI https://www. theverge.com/gadgets/973163/fr iend-re-launches-its-ai-pendant-with-a-speaker-that-talks-to-you-for-twice-the-price # AI # Au…

    LINKS theverge.com/…/friend-re-launches-its-ai-…
  7. Mastodon — mastodon.social TIER_1 English(EN) · [email protected] ·

    Friend re-launches its AI pendant with a speaker that talks to you, for twice the price Do you remember Friend? The Friend that launched an AI pendant, spent $1

    Friend re-launches its AI pendant with a speaker that talks to you, for twice the price Do you remember Friend? The Friend that launched an AI pendant, spent $1.8 million of its $2.5 million in funding to acquire friend.com, and plastered the NYC subway with ads promoting artific…

    LINKS theverge.com/…/friend-re-launches-its-ai-…
  8. Mastodon — mastodon.social TIER_1 English(EN) · [email protected] ·

    Friend re-launches its AI pendant with a speaker that talks to you, for twice the price https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/973163/friend-re-launches-its-ai-pendan

    Friend re-launches its AI pendant with a speaker that talks to you, for twice the price https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/973163/friend-re-launches-its-ai-pendant-with-a-speaker-that-talks-to-you-for-twice-the-price # AI # WearableTech # Gadgets

    LINKS theverge.com/…/friend-re-launches-its-ai-…
  9. Mastodon — mastodon.social TIER_1 English(EN) · [email protected] ·

    The New Friend AI Pendant Can Now Talk Back to You https://www.wired.com/story/the-friend-2-necklace-can-talk-back-to-you-now/ # AI # Tech # WearableTech

    The New Friend AI Pendant Can Now Talk Back to You https://www.wired.com/story/the-friend-2-necklace-can-talk-back-to-you-now/ # AI # Tech # WearableTech

    LINKS wired.com/…/the-friend-2-necklace-can-tal…

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