Friend AI Pendant Doubles to $249 With New Speaker
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- Friend is re-launching its AI pendant with a new speaker that talks back to users, up from only messaging previously
- The pendant's price has nearly doubled from $129 to $249
- Friend is adding a new $10-per-month subscription that lets the pendant remember conversations for longer than 30 days
- Founder Avi Schiffmann posted on X calling the new version "Friend 2.0," even though the product is still listed as just "Friend" on the site
- The re-launch comes roughly nine months after a large protest in NYC targeted the company over its subway ad campaign promoting artificial companionship
- Friend previously spent $1.8 million of its $2.5 million in funding to acquire friend.com
Why it matters: The price hike to $249 — a 93% increase — arrives after an explicit public backlash in NYC, where protesters targeted Friend's subway ad campaign and founder Schiffmann publicly engaged with critics. The bet is that voice output and a paid memory tier will win over buyers who already rejected the messaging-only version.
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