(NewsNation) — After five years and over $200 million in reported funding, Silicon Valley startup Humane has released an AI-wearable designed to replace smartphones.
The $699 Humane AI Pin is a sleek, square-shaped device that replicates many of your iPhone's core functions without the screen.
The gadget — which users wear on their lapel — can make calls, send messages, play music and take photos, all with the help of an interactive, voice-activated AI assistant.
There's no physical screen and no scrolling, just a laser display that projects onto the palm of your hand when users need to check the time and date.
"There are no wake words, so it's not always listening or always recording," Humane co-founder Imran Chaudhri explained in a demo video. "In fact, it doesn’t do anything until you engage with it, and your engagement comes through your voice, touch, gesture or the laser ink display."
Through the device's camera, users can ask questions about what they see in front of them, like how much a book costs online or questions about what they're eating.
In the demo, Chaudhri holds a handful of almonds and asks how much protein they have. The device's assistant replies, "These almonds have 15 grams of protein."
The AI Pin can also detect and translate foreign languages in real-time, so two people talking in English and Spanish, for example, can understand each other.
Unlike smartphones, users shouldn't expect to download a suite of apps.
"We don't do apps. Humane's [operating system] runs AI experiences that are on device and in the cloud," co-founder Bethany Bongiorno said in the demo. "The OS understands what you need and picks the right AI in the moment."
On top of the $700 sticker price, there's a $24 monthly subscription fee, which gets you a phone number and data coverage through T-Mobile.
Humane will begin taking orders for the AI Pin on Nov. 16.