4 ms·

Cell phones and smartwatches can already fill this niche. This is an expensive, single-function dongle. It was obsolete before it ever hit the market.

JohnMakin 2y ago
The "sell" here though was to untether people from their phones, which is a worthy goal and definitely a market demand, this one just didn't fill that.
- SllX 2y ago
  It’s really not a good sales message. People love their phones. Replacing it with something that’s kinda like a phone but more finicky because it’s trying to not be a phone is pointless, and for those who do want to untether from their phones for part of the day but still have some functional coverage from another device, an Apple Watch can fulfill that just fine. Personally I think the bodycam form factor is interesting for a new tertiary device category, but if there is a marketable product there, it’s not a replacement for your phone.
  - lancesells 2y ago
    I think the bodycam will never be it on it's own. Watch - Almost everyone can wear this daily, in almost any environment. Glasses - Almost everyone can wear this daily, in almost any environment. Bodycam - Depends on what you're wearing and where. Work at a hospital? Probably not. A night out on a date? Probably not. At the beach? No. Tank top? No. Rainy day with layers? Not easy. It's too dependent on something that varies considerably.
    - SllX 2y ago
      Well I meant as a phone accessory, like a watch or AirPods or Oura ring. I think there’s maybe some potential there. As for mounting, if you look at Axon’s bodycam website you can see they offer a variety of mounting options. The solution Humane came up with is not the only one, but yeah, you wouldn’t take it everywhere either.
- wvenable 2y ago
  I don't think you can make the statement "worthy goal and definitely a market demand" without backing that up with any evidence. What makes it a worthy goal to create an internet connected wireless device that just isn't a phone? What is the real market demand for that sort of thing? I don't see that as a worthy goal nor I do believe there is any significant market demand for such a thing. It's almost impossible to exist in modern society without a smartphone.
  - JohnMakin 2y ago
    > I don't think you can make the statement "worthy goal and definitely a market demand" without backing that up with any evidence. Presumably the billions of dollars invested in this space would be evidence enough, or the success of things like the apple watch, or how Meta is shifting towards wearables to achieve a similar goal. I don't know what kind of "evidence" you're looking for here. Do you have evidence this is something the market doesn't want?
    - wvenable 2y ago
      The total failure of this product and all similar products like it. The success of wearables doesn't mean people are looking to replace their phone -- these are all phone accessories. This AI pin would have been more successful as a phone accessory than a stand-alone device. People already have to or want to carry their phone around; they are not looking for separate phone-replacement device. They want something that compliments their phone, not replaces it.
      - MisterBastahrd 2y ago
        Yep. "I don't want to put forth the effort of taking my phone out of my pocket so instead I'll talk to a lapel pin and hold my hand out to read a really crappy projected monochrome display" is sorta.... silly.
    - surgical_fire 2y ago
      > Presumably the billions of dollars invested in this space would be evidence enough That is only evidence that gambles are getting desperate.
- zamadatix 2y ago
  "Untether from your phone" is a great sales pitch because the reality is somewhere between "tethered to ${totallyNotAPhone} instead" to "tethered to n+1 things" but the listener's thoughts go to not being tethered at all instead.
- JohnFen 2y ago
  I never really understood that pitch, personally. The sell is to untether people from their phone by tethering them to something else (that is inferior in almost every way) instead? Where's the win?
hinkley 2y ago
I’d like to see watches get bigger and phones get smaller. Phones should be the Managed Switch of your personal area network. Right now my phone and watch are fighting over this role and I have to keep fiddling with things like Bluetooth connections because of it. I can’t carry my phone when I’m out training. It’s just too big. But my Apple watch struggles wi5 battery capacity. Some days I’m charging my watch twice. If I had a candy bar phone I wouldn’t have tho juggle.
- zamadatix 2y ago
  Perhaps you're already using the Ultra (1 or 2) and just a lot more than me but the reason I went that route instead of the 9 is it has double the battery life. I hardly use the Ultra of the things they advertise it for.
  - hinkley 2y ago
    I’m just using the regular 9 or maybe 8 I forget. A 3 hour workout plus music goes from 100% to 45% and that’s in low power mode. If the 10 doesn’t have more battery life I may defect to Garmin. But those are massive.

JohnMakin 2y ago

The "sell" here though was to untether people from their phones, which is a worthy goal and definitely a market demand, this one just didn't fill that.

SllX 2y ago
It’s really not a good sales message. People love their phones. Replacing it with something that’s kinda like a phone but more finicky because it’s trying to not be a phone is pointless, and for those who do want to untether from their phones for part of the day but still have some functional coverage from another device, an Apple Watch can fulfill that just fine. Personally I think the bodycam form factor is interesting for a new tertiary device category, but if there is a marketable product there, it’s not a replacement for your phone.
- lancesells 2y ago
  I think the bodycam will never be it on it's own. Watch - Almost everyone can wear this daily, in almost any environment. Glasses - Almost everyone can wear this daily, in almost any environment. Bodycam - Depends on what you're wearing and where. Work at a hospital? Probably not. A night out on a date? Probably not. At the beach? No. Tank top? No. Rainy day with layers? Not easy. It's too dependent on something that varies considerably.
  - SllX 2y ago
    Well I meant as a phone accessory, like a watch or AirPods or Oura ring. I think there’s maybe some potential there. As for mounting, if you look at Axon’s bodycam website you can see they offer a variety of mounting options. The solution Humane came up with is not the only one, but yeah, you wouldn’t take it everywhere either.
wvenable 2y ago
I don't think you can make the statement "worthy goal and definitely a market demand" without backing that up with any evidence. What makes it a worthy goal to create an internet connected wireless device that just isn't a phone? What is the real market demand for that sort of thing? I don't see that as a worthy goal nor I do believe there is any significant market demand for such a thing. It's almost impossible to exist in modern society without a smartphone.
- JohnMakin 2y ago
  > I don't think you can make the statement "worthy goal and definitely a market demand" without backing that up with any evidence. Presumably the billions of dollars invested in this space would be evidence enough, or the success of things like the apple watch, or how Meta is shifting towards wearables to achieve a similar goal. I don't know what kind of "evidence" you're looking for here. Do you have evidence this is something the market doesn't want?
  - wvenable 2y ago
    The total failure of this product and all similar products like it. The success of wearables doesn't mean people are looking to replace their phone -- these are all phone accessories. This AI pin would have been more successful as a phone accessory than a stand-alone device. People already have to or want to carry their phone around; they are not looking for separate phone-replacement device. They want something that compliments their phone, not replaces it.
    - MisterBastahrd 2y ago
      Yep. "I don't want to put forth the effort of taking my phone out of my pocket so instead I'll talk to a lapel pin and hold my hand out to read a really crappy projected monochrome display" is sorta.... silly.
  - surgical_fire 2y ago
    > Presumably the billions of dollars invested in this space would be evidence enough That is only evidence that gambles are getting desperate.
zamadatix 2y ago
"Untether from your phone" is a great sales pitch because the reality is somewhere between "tethered to ${totallyNotAPhone} instead" to "tethered to n+1 things" but the listener's thoughts go to not being tethered at all instead.
JohnFen 2y ago
I never really understood that pitch, personally. The sell is to untether people from their phone by tethering them to something else (that is inferior in almost every way) instead? Where's the win?

hinkley 2y ago

I’d like to see watches get bigger and phones get smaller. Phones should be the Managed Switch of your personal area network. Right now my phone and watch are fighting over this role and I have to keep fiddling with things like Bluetooth connections because of it. I can’t carry my phone when I’m out training. It’s just too big. But my Apple watch struggles wi5 battery capacity. Some days I’m charging my watch twice. If I had a candy bar phone I wouldn’t have tho juggle.

zamadatix 2y ago
Perhaps you're already using the Ultra (1 or 2) and just a lot more than me but the reason I went that route instead of the 9 is it has double the battery life. I hardly use the Ultra of the things they advertise it for.
- hinkley 2y ago
  I’m just using the regular 9 or maybe 8 I forget. A 3 hour workout plus music goes from 100% to 45% and that’s in low power mode. If the 10 doesn’t have more battery life I may defect to Garmin. But those are massive.