Friend, the company behind an AI companion pendant, has relaunched its device with a new feature: a built-in speaker. Where the previous version responded only through messages, the updated pendant can now speak aloud to the user. The relaunch is priced at twice the cost of the earlier product.
The company introduced the update with a new advertisement showing two people discussing personal life problems with their pendants. The ad did not state the speaker feature outright but demonstrated it in use. Friend previously spent 2.5 million in funding to acquire the domain friend.com and ran an advertising campaign across the New York City subway promoting AI companionship.
Why it matters
The shift from text-based replies to spoken responses changes how users interact with the device, moving toward a more conversational form of AI companionship. The doubled price point also signals a repositioning of the product.
Who should care
Consumers interested in AI companion hardware and observers tracking how companies market artificial companionship products will find this relaunch relevant.