Earbuds could be the next over-hyped generative AI gadget

Over the last few months, we saw a new category of weird AI gadgets emerge and almost immediately flop despite massive hype cycles. Now, another startup wants to take a crack at a generative AI-powered gadget, and it might have a better shot at success.

Iyo, a startup that formed inside Google’s “moonshot factory” called X (not to be confused with the website better known as Twitter) and spun out on its own, plans to launch wireless earbuds this winter that will integrate generative AI. Dubbed the ‘Iyo One,’ TechCrunch reports that these earbuds will be more than just an AI gadget and will be premium buds.

According to TechCrunch, the earbuds are larger than other wireless Bluetooth earbuds, which enables them to get up to 16 hours of battery on a charge while paired to a phone over Bluetooth. The Iyo One will also offer a cellular mode without a tethered handset, though it cuts the battery life to a paltry hour and a half.

Perhaps the biggest benefit is that the Iyo One buds won’t require a monthly subscription, though the cellular features will require a plan from a carrier. Still, the Iyo One will be pricey at $599 USD (roughly $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 beyond their AI features, which admittedly didn’t work well. And with nothing else compelling about the gadgets, there was little reason for people to buy them. Plus, a common criticism was that the gadgets could have just been smartphone apps instead, particularly for the Rabbit R1, which turned out to to be just that.

The Iyo One earbuds, however, sound like an actually decent product regardless of the integrated AI features. That could make people more willing to try them since if the AI portion doesn’t work out, at least you still have some Bluetooth earbuds. The One earbuds won’t be Iyo’s first product either — the company also makes the pricey Vad Pro earbuds that are basically in-ear studio reference monitors.

Of course, it remains to be seen if Iyo can pull it off. As mentioned up top, Humane and Rabbit fumbled despite considerable hype. And while wireless earbuds are really popular, it’s also a category with tons of competition, including from heavyweights in the tech space like Apple, Google and Samsung. It might be a tough sell for some to fork out that much money for AI earbuds from an unknown startup, even if it did come out of Google.

You can learn more about the Iyo One buds here.

Images credit: Iyo

Source: Techcrunch