Why Humane's Ai Pin won't replace your smartphone but smartwatch
Slated for an early 2024 release, Humane's Ai Pin is a wearable gadget featuring a one-of-a-kind "Laser Ink Display" projector. Although it presents a novel user experience and is being touted by some as a "smartphone killer," the Ai Pin is unlikely to dethrone smartphones due to its restricted capabilities and absence of a conventional display for accurate touch interactions. Instead, it might find itself competing with smartwatches as an accessory to smartphones.
Ai Pin offers good functionality, but comes with limitations
The Ai Pin depends on audio and its projector for user engagement, but it falls short of delivering the high-quality and user-friendly experience smartphone screens offer. Humane's emphasis on AI-driven summaries of inboxes and app alerts might not be as effective as a human aide, and audio might not be the ideal medium for conveying such information. The device's limited features make it more fitting as a rival to smartwatches rather than smartphones.
Potential path for Ai Pin as companion device
Instead of going after smartphones, Humane should have marketed the Ai Pin as a tangible assistant to smartphones, with its unique wearable design allowing for hands-free use and an indicator light for crucial notifications, compared to smartwatches. It even allows users to choose whether to view alerts on their phone or the laser display. Additionally, the chest-mounted placement of the device provides a front-facing camera for distinctive photos and image/object recognition capabilities, which could be used for various purposes.
Possible improvements for Ai Pin
To enhance its role as a potential smartphone accessory instead, the Ai Pin could forgo the need for cellular radio, thus decreasing weight, power usage, and subscription fees. As for relaying smartphone notifications, Humane could also create a companion app that integrates their AI chatbot with phone data such as calendar events, emails, and more. This strategy would make the Ai Pin more practical and boost its likelihood of success in the market.
