Amazon acquires Bee, maker of budget-friendly AI wearable without mandatory subscription
Although AI gadgets like the Humane Ai Pin and Rabbit R1 have been less than successful, online retail giant Amazon is apparently still looking to break into the market. Bee’s CEO Maria de Lourdes Zollo recently confirmed that Amazon is in the process of acquiring the startup.
The deal hasn’t been finalised yet, and key details of the acquisition, including price, remain undisclosed. Amazon has offered new positions to all Bee employees. So far, the startup has only launched one product: a $49.99 AI-powered wristband that doesn’t require any paid subscription to function, making it one of the most affordable AI wearables available.
The Bee’s budget-friendly price is made possible by its exceptionally basic hardware, featuring just two microphones, a USB-C port, a status LED, and a mute button for the mics. The device is designed to transcribe the user’s conversations throughout the day and create personalised summaries.
When granted access to emails, contacts, photos, location and calendars, the Bee smartphone app can build a searchable history of all events. However, an early review by The Verge noted that the wearable doesn’t always work flawlessly, in part due to its struggle to distinguish between actual conversations and film dialogues.
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