Friend 2.0 Gets a Voice and a $249 Price Tag. But What Does It Actually Do?
The AI necklace designed to fight loneliness just added a built-in speaker and more than doubled its price. Its creator says it might be a confidant or a god. He's less certain about everything else.
Key points - Friend 2.0, an AI-powered wearable necklace, launched this week with a built-in speaker, replacing the text-only original. - The new retail price is $249, up from $99 at the original launch two years ago. - Founder Avi Schiffmann described the product as "not an assistant, and not a lover," and suggested it might be a "confidant, friend, or God." - Most AI wearables have struggled commercially, including Humane's AI Pin, which shut down in under a year.
A small necklace that uses artificial intelligence to keep you company just got its first real upgrade. Friend 2.0, made by Avi Schiffmann's company, now has a built-in speaker, so instead of sending text messages to your phone it can talk back to you out loud.
The device is an AI wearable: a piece of hardware you wear on your body that runs a conversational AI, similar to the technology behind voice-based chatbots. Unlike a phone app, it's always around your neck, always on.
What does Friend actually do?
Honestly, that's still the hard question. Schiffmann's new promotional video shows a woman talking to her necklace about an ex-girlfriend and a man on a hillside getting feedback on his films. The necklace responds warmly in both cases.
Beyond emotional support and casual conversation, the feature set remains vague. Schiffmann posted on X this week saying he sees the product as "some kind of confidant, friend, God, not really sure what it is." He was clear on two things it isn't: "It is not an assistant, and it is not a lover."
That positioning is unusual for a consumer gadget. As first reported by TechCrunch, it's also a continuation of Schiffmann's pattern of bold claims around the product. Our earlier story noted Schiffmann himself called the whole venture "inherently egomaniacal".
How does this compare with other AI wearables?
| Product | Price | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Friend (original, 2023) | $99 | Text-only, discontinued |
| Friend 2.0 (2025) | $249 | Voice, now on sale |
The $249 price is more than double the original $99. That's a steep jump for a device whose core use case is still being defined.
The broader category hasn't found its footing. Humane Inc., which built an AI Pin meant to replace the smartphone, shut down in under a year after poor sales. Friend is competing in a market where no one has proven people will pay for a dedicated AI companion device when their phone already has one built in.
Should buyers be cautious?
Yes, a little. The product is real and shipping, but its practical value beyond conversation is unclear. Friend's subway advertisements in New York went viral after they were repeatedly defaced by people who objected to replacing human connection with a gadget.
For anyone considering the purchase: the core function is AI conversation, the kind you can already have for free on a phone. The $249 covers the always-on wearable form factor and the "unique personality" Schiffmann says the device projects. Whether that's worth the price depends entirely on what you want from something you wear around your neck.
Common questions
Does Friend 2.0 work without a phone?
Schiffmann hasn't published full technical specifications, so it's not confirmed whether the device needs a paired phone for its AI connection or works fully standalone.
Is this the same as a smartwatch assistant?
No. Smartwatch assistants like Siri or Google Assistant are built to complete tasks: set timers, send messages, give directions. Friend is designed purely for open-ended conversation and emotional support, not task management.
