Friend 2.0 adds voice to AI companion pendant

Avi Schiffmann's Friend 2.0, announced July 30, 2026, adds a built-in speaker giving the AI companion a consistent spoken personality. The original, launched July 2024 at $99–$129, relied on text messages. The new version costs $249. Schiffmann calls it "not an assistant" or "a lover" but "some kind of confidant, friend, God."