On October 25, 2026, TechCrunch published a special report that reviews the most talked-about AI-powered wearables and portable smart devices currently on the market, spanning various form factors such as necklaces, rings, wristbands, card‑style gadgets, and handheld devices. These products generally emphasize real-time voice recording, contextual understanding, personalized notifications, and emotional interaction, with target use cases ranging from productivity enhancement and emotional support to professional documentation and personal development.
Among them, Bee starts at $49.99, making it the most affordable AI-enabled wearable to date, with support for audio recording and habit learning; its parent company was acquired by Amazon in July 2025, and in early October 2026, upgraded models Bee Frontier ($74.99) and Bee Eclipse ($99.99) were launched. Friend retails for $129, emphasizing emotion recognition and proactive care, but after sparking controversy over “surveillance capitalism” through New York City subway ads, it was recently updated to Friend 2.0, adding a built-in speaker and personalized voice capabilities. Limitless (formerly Rewind), priced at $99, focuses on meeting and conversation transcription, offering 10 hours of free AI service per month; a $29 monthly subscription unlocks unlimited features.
Meta’s first AI-powered wearable, the Muse Charm, is set to launch in September 2026 and has not yet shipped; it will feature the digital avatar Jolly and support voice‑activated tasks. Nirva is positioned for personal development, priced at $249, with preorders opening in November 2026 and shipments expected by year’s end. Omi ($89) can be worn on the head and leverages ChatGPT in real time to analyze conversations. Plaud NotePin ($159) and the soon-to-be‑available Note Pro ($179) focus on high‑precision transcription for legal and educational use cases. Rabbit R1 ($199) is a handheld AI device that, following a software update, adds a “Creations” custom‑tool feature. Sandbar’s Stream smart ring ($299) will go on sale in summer 2026 and features a touch‑activated microphone design.
All devices rely on companion mobile apps for core interactions, and most require a subscription service (e.g., Bee costs $19 per month, while the Plaud Pro plan is $8.33/month), with platform-specific limitations (e.g., the Bee app currently supports only iOS). The report does not provide third-party test data or independent privacy assessments, nor does it clarify whether recording on each device requires explicit user consent by default—only Limitless states that it transcribes conversations “subject to obtaining consent.”