Earbuds could be the next overhyped generative AI gadget

Over the past few months, we’ve seen a new category of weird AI gadgets emerge and then quickly fail despite heavy hype. Now, another startup is trying its hand at generative AI-powered gadgets, and it might just have a better chance of success.

Iyo, a startup founded within Google’s “moonshot factory” X (not to be confused with the website better known as Twitter) and then spun out of the company, plans to launch a pair of wireless earbuds this winter that integrate generative AI. Called the “Iyo One,” the earbuds will: TechCrunch It has been reported that these earphones will not just be AI gadgets but will be premium earphones.

according to TechCrunchThe earbuds are larger than other wireless Bluetooth earbuds and when paired with a phone via Bluetooth, they offer up to 16 hours of battery life on a single charge. The Iyo One also offers a mobile mode without a phone connected, but the battery life drops to just an hour and a half.

Perhaps the biggest benefit is that the Iyo One earbuds don’t require a monthly subscription — though you’ll need a plan from your carrier for cellular functionality — and yet the Iyo One is pricey, at $599 USD (about $820 CAD) for the Wi-Fi version and $699 USD (about $955 CAD) for the cellular version.

Humane’s Ai Pin and Rabbit’s R1 gadgets offered little else besides AI capabilities, which certainly didn’t work well, and there was little reason for people to buy them because there was nothing else compelling about them. Additionally, the gadgets were often criticized for being better off as smartphone apps, which is exactly what ended up happening with the Rabbit R1 in particular.

But the Iyo One earphones actually seem like a decent product regardless of the integrated AI features. Even if the AI ​​part doesn’t work, at least we’re still left with Bluetooth earphones, so people might be more willing to try them out. The One earphones aren’t Iyo’s first product; the company also makes the more expensive Vad Pro earphones, which are basically in-ear studio reference monitors.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether Iyo will be successful. As mentioned at the beginning, Humane and Rabbit failed despite high expectations. Wireless earbuds are very popular, but it’s also a highly competitive category that includes tech giants like Apple, Google, and Samsung. Paying that much for AI earbuds from an unknown startup, even if developed by Google, may be difficult for some people to justify.

Find out more about Iyo One Buds here.

Image courtesy of Iyo

Source: TechCrunch