The hottest wearables and gadgets you can buy right now

A new wave of AI-powered gadgets on the market aim to integrate AI into our daily lives like never before.

Some wearable AI devices — including necklaces, rings, wristbands, as well as mobile devices — serve as productivity tools, while others claim to be friendly companions that listen to your daily thoughts. Even OpenAI is working on a built-in AI companion device.

Below, we’ve rounded up some of the most notable devices currently available.

bee

Bee is an affordable necklace at $49.99 that can be clipped to your clothing or worn like a fitness band. This device records everything it hears and learns your actions and preferences to create reminders and notes for you. It even features a mute button for those times when you want some privacy.

The companion app (currently available on iOS only) is included with a $19 monthly subscription. The app allows you to interact with Bee directly and ask him questions. You can also get essential information from your day and timelines of your conversations.

Amazon recently acquired the wearables company in July.

friend

Friend is one of the biggest entrants into the “personal AI” hardware market.

This $129 white necklace hangs around your neck and acts as an emotional support companion. It learns your tone and mood, allowing you to chat with it as if it were a friend. It connects to your phone via Bluetooth and is constantly listening, ready to respond or send you proactive messages, like wishing you well before the interview.

However, she has also faced criticism, including the recent backlash against her New York City subway ad campaign. People vandalized ads, writing messages like “surveillance capitalism.”

No limits

Formerly known as Rewind, Limitless is another conversation recording necklace priced at $99.

This device constantly listens and transcribes meetings, calls and conversations (with consent) into searchable, summarized knowledge. It’s ideal for professionals, especially journalists, looking to remember important discussions.

The companion app comes with 10 hours of AI features per month — such as transcriptions and summaries — with the option to unlock unlimited features for $29 per month.

Omi

Priced at $89, this device can answer your questions, summarize your conversations, create to-do lists, and help schedule meetings. Additionally, Omi constantly listens to your conversations and runs them through ChatGPT, allowing it to remember your context and provide personalized advice.

Omi can be worn as a necklace, but another notable aspect is that she can be attached to the side of your head with medical tape and can detect that you are talking to her.

Cloud’s NotePin

At $159, Plaud’s NotePin is one of the pricier options on this list; However, the built-in AI transcription and summarization features make it a valuable tool for lawyers, journalists, and students attending meetings or lectures.

This small, wearable audio recorder can be worn on your wrist or magnetically attached to your clothes. Recordings are saved in real time on your phone, eliminating the hassle of taking notes manually. The device includes 300 free monthly copy minutes, but with the $8.33-per-month Pro plan, you can upgrade your copy time to 1,200 minutes.

This year, the company is gearing up to launch a $179 ultra-thin note-taking device called the Plaud Note Pro, which is now available for pre-order.

Rabbit R1

Rabbit R1 is another AI-powered gadget that has quickly become a topic of interest in the tech world, despite facing some challenges during its initial launch. This small, retro-style laptop features a touchscreen and rotating camera and is priced at $199.

The device is designed to sit next to your phone, allowing you to perform tasks like booking flights, ordering meals, and controlling apps without having to pull out your phone every time. Following a significant software update that corrected previous performance issues, Rabbit R1 now features expanded AI features. For example, it offers “Creations,” a feature that lets you create your own tools and even games.