#ai-devices

#ai-devices

AI's next target? Helping you kick your phone addiction. AI devices are a top priority for Big Tech companies that view it as the future of how humans and AI interact, writes BI's Amanda Hoover. You've likely heard of this hardware before, which acts as a sort of AI sidekick for your life. From the Rabbit R1 and Humane to Friend, the names are different, but the stories are the same: big expectations, difficult execution.

The time for gift-giving is over. Now, all that's left is the few days until New Year's revelries and the resulting hangover. So while we've all been spending time with friends and family, the folks on Gizmodo's consumer tech desk have also had the chance to reminisce on the year's best, wackiest, wildest, and worst tech products. Thankfully, there were a few standout products that have kept things interesting even as we slide into the new year.

Apple is working on an AI-powered wearable pin with cameras and microphones designed to pick up a user's surroundings, according to a report from The Information. The rumored device is reportedly the size of an AirTag, with "thin, flat, circular" housing made from aluminium and glass. The Information reports that Apple's rumored AI pin will have a standard lens and a wide-angle lens, along with three microphones, a speaker, a physical button on one of its sides, and support for wireless charging.

Literally a piece of e-waste in waiting, Lollipop Stars are suckers with an integrated battery and tiny speaker that, when placed in one's mouth, transmit sound through jaw vibrations, delivering what the brand calls "music you can taste." The device is non-rechargeable, gets about 60 minutes of battery life, plays a single song, and once the sucker is gone, it's garbage.

Co-CEO of Samsung's mobile division, TM Roh, spoke to the media at the CES 2026 trade show, saying "We're facing one of the harshest pricing situations in memory" and warning that "smartphone price adjustments may be necessary". Samsung is working with other companies in its supply chain to try and deal with the situation in the long term as all kinds of electronics are affected by this - notably smartphones, but also TVs and other smart devices.

When I said we have an uncomfortable relationship with our technology, I mean that's the most obscene understatement,

The project being developed by Jonathan Ive and the creators of ChatGPT is rumored to be an AI-powered personal device designed for voice interaction, without a screen.