New version of AI companion pendant can talk back

Avi Schiffmann's Friend device, a wearable meant to keep you company, now has a speaker so it talks to you in a steady voice. The original, launched July 2024 at $99–$129, only sent text messages. The new version, announced July 30, 2026, costs $249. Schiffmann calls it "some kind of confidant, friend, God."