Apple defectors want to replace the iPhone: Can this pin replace the smartphone?

The era of smartphones is over. This is what former Apple employees think, who want to replace their mobile phones with an additional gadget.

A small gadget that you can clip onto your shirt, shirt, or blouse can replace your smartphone. At least that’s what startup Humane is hoping for, which has now introduced its Humane AI pin.

The startup’s presidents are Imran Choudhury and Bethany Bongiorno, who met at Apple, married and left the company together to do their own things. They are said to have taken about 90 former Apple employees with them to Humane.

Emphasizes calm presentation

Humane showed off its AI pin to the public for the first time with a ten-minute video recorded in a sterile room, intended to be a sobering antithesis to often grandiose tech presentations.

Choudhury wears a Steve Jobs memorabilia look and speaks in the tone of a psychotherapist who absolutely nothing can faze him as he demonstrates his pin-up features. Bongiorno’s role in the presentation is to provide background information and, more importantly, to reassure the audience that everything really works the way Choudhury shows it.

Operate with voice and finger gestures

The Humane AI Pin consists of the device itself and a magnetically attached battery pack. The components are placed on both sides of the piece of clothing and this is how the pin is attached. It has a built-in camera, microphone, speakers and projector. It can take photos and videos and is constantly connected to the mobile network.

The main form of interaction occurs via voice control. Users can ask pin questions or set tasks, which are then processed thanks to artificial intelligence. However, the projector can also display text and menu on the palm of your hand, allowing you to control it with your fingers.

Technology like ChatGPT

Humane is based, among other things, on GPT-4, the most advanced artificial intelligence system from OpenAI, the makers of ChatGPT. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is also one of Humane’s lead investors. But other AI systems must also be used.

The pin is designed to accompany the wearer throughout the day. It is no longer necessary to read long emails yourself, instead, the AI ​​creates a short summary that is then read to the user. It is also possible to make phone calls and send messages.

There are no independent tests yet

The device is priced at $699, can be pre-ordered starting this week, and will be delivered in “early 2024.” Initially, it will only be available in the USA, where buyers will also have to get a subscription for $24 per month to be able to use the pin at all.

Only a select few journalists were allowed to examine the device for only 90 minutes, meaning an independent assessment of its actual capabilities is still pending.

Chaudhry told TechCrunch that the latest era of technology has reached its peak. By this he means the smartphone era, which began with the introduction of the first iPhone in 2007. It remains to be seen whether Humane can fully deliver on its promises and whether AI Pin will become as influential as the iPhone once was.