Preorders are open for what a Google-backed startup is calling the “first-ever audio computer.”
Iyo is looking to secure early orders for its Iyo One device, which are wireless earbuds upgraded with a generative AI assistant, and capitalize on the buzz around similar AI gadgets like the Humane Ai Pin and the Rabbit R1.
Like the other two AI gadgets, the buds — as shown in this demo from its CEO — are designed to understand natural language.
A Promising Demo
As for what the Iyo One can actually do, it’s not so clear yet. In Rugolo’s demo, we can see an example where you can isolate the audio from who you’re getting dinner with at a noisy restaurant, even blocking out unwanted noises and doing live translations. On its website, Iyo claims that the wireless earbuds can coach you through workouts, remind you what’s on your grocery list, and even translate in real-time when you’re traveling.
Iyo hasn’t revealed a full breakdown of the Iyo One yet, but these initial specs tell us that it will be less powerful than the Ai Pin. According to Iyo, its wireless earbuds will use a quad-core CPU, along with either 16GB of storage and 1GB of memory, or 32GB of storage and 2GB of memory. The Iyo One will get Wi-Fi and Bluetooth compatibility, but there’s an option to support 4G LTE so it can run on cellular networks. That’s an important distinction compared to Nothing’s earbuds that have ChatGPT integration but require pairing with a smartphone.
Iyo claims its AI earbuds will get “all-day battery life,” but hasn’t offered any battery capacity or uptime numbers. According to TechCrunch, when the buds aren’t paired with a phone, the battery life will be about 1.5 hours which is decidedly less than “all day.”
Up for Preorder Now
The Iyo One won’t be released until this winter, but the company has already opened preorders. You can reserve a base model with Wi-Fi capability and 16GB of storage through a refundable $59 deposit that goes towards an expected $599 price tag when it’s eventually available. If you want to secure a model with Wi-Fi, LTE, and 32GB of storage, it’s a $69 deposit towards a total of $699.
You can choose between ocean, polar, and night for the Iyo One’s color options, but you’ll also get a carrying case and a protective hard shell that gives you more customization. With that high of a price tag, it’s a risk that feels similar to preordering the Ai Pin. If we’ve learned our lesson with these other AI devices, it may be worth it to exercise some patience here especially since we don’t have all the details of the Iyo One yet.
