Amazon Debuts Bee Frontier, Bee Eclipse AI Wearables

Amazon has rolled out two new wearable AI devices under its Bee brand — the $74.99 Bee Frontier and the $99.99 Bee Eclipse — extending a product line the company acquired in July 2025, according to TechCrunch. The devices, detailed in TechCrunch's Oct. 25, 2026 roundup of AI wearables, arrived alongside competing pendants from Friend and Limitless, each pitching a different version of the same idea: a listening device that turns daily conversation into notes, reminders or companionship.

What Is the Bee Pendant, and What Does It Cost?

The original Bee device sells for $49.99 and can be clipped to clothing or worn like a fitness band, TechCrunch reported. It records what it hears and uses that audio to build reminders and notes based on a wearer's routines and preferences, according to the outlet. A mute button lets users cut the microphone when they want privacy, TechCrunch noted. The companion app, currently iOS-only per TechCrunch, requires a $19 monthly subscription and lets users query Bee directly, pull daily takeaways, or review chronological transcripts of their conversations.

How Did Amazon's Acquisition Change the Bee Lineup?

Amazon bought the Bee wearables startup in July 2025 and launched its first new hardware under the brand earlier in October 2026, TechCrunch reported. The Bee Frontier, priced at $74.99, can be worn on the wrist or clipped to clothing, while the Bee Eclipse, at $99.99, is a credit-card-sized device that attaches magnetically to the back of a smartphone, according to TechCrunch. Both new models carry the same core functionality as the earlier Bee device, TechCrunch reported, and Amazon is positioning the line as a lower-cost alternative to devices such as the Plaud Note and Plaud NotePin. Users can also link Bee to Alexa, per the report.

What Does Friend's AI Companion Promise, and What Backlash Has It Faced?

Friend, a $129 white pendant worn around the neck, markets itself as an emotional support companion rather than a productivity tool, TechCrunch reported. The device reads a wearer's tone and mood, stays connected via Bluetooth, and listens continuously so it can respond or send unprompted messages — TechCrunch cited the example of the device wishing a user good luck before an interview. The company's New York City subway ad campaign drew public criticism, including vandalism of ads with messages such as "surveillance capitalism," according to TechCrunch. The outlet reported that Friend has since introduced "Friend 2.0," a hardware update with a built-in speaker so the device can talk back and project what TechCrunch described as a more distinctive personality.

How Does Limitless Differ From Its Predecessor, Rewind?

Limitless, formerly branded as Rewind, is a $99 pendant that continuously listens and transcribes meetings, calls and conversations with consent, turning them into searchable, summarized records, TechCrunch reported. The outlet described the device as geared toward professionals, including journalists, who need a reliable record of conversations rather than a companion that initiates chat. Unlike Friend's emotional framing, Limitless is pitched squarely as a work tool, according to TechCrunch's description.

What Terms Should Buyers Know Before Shopping for AI Wearables?

• Personal AI device: TechCrunch's umbrella term for wearables and portables that use AI to process what they record, from pendants to clip-on recorders.
• Companion app: The smartphone software, often subscription-based, that a wearable syncs with for transcripts, summaries and chat — Bee's app, for instance, costs $19 a month on top of hardware, per TechCrunch.
• Continuous listening: A feature TechCrunch attributes to Friend and Limitless in which the device's microphone stays active to capture conversation in real time, distinct from devices that record only on command.

Readers weighing a hardware purchase against a software-only option have alternatives: the AlterEgo app offers AI companion features without a dedicated pendant, and Pinewood Creations' Artiglio project, still in development, is expected to explore similar ground. For developers interested in how devices like Friend 2.0 generate spoken responses, voice-AI platforms such as ElevenLabs build comparable text-to-speech tools, though TechCrunch's report does not say which voice engine Friend uses internally.

The full original roundup, including additional detail on OpenAI's reported work on a compact AI companion device, is available via TechCrunch.