Apple plans to enter the AI Pin market.

According to a report by technology media The Information, Apple is developing an AI wearable device called Pin. The product looks like a badge or brooch, being "slim, flat, and round". Its shell is made of aluminum and glass, and its size is similar to that of an AirTag. It can be clipped to the chest or hung on a bag. Currently, the product is still in the early stage of research and development and may be released as early as 2027.

AirTag

The report claims that Apple's AI Pin is equipped with multiple cameras, a speaker, and three microphones. It has a physical side button and supports magnetic induction wireless charging. It may serve as a new wearable AI entry point, enabling more independent interactions and collaborating with devices such as iPhones for local processing.

Technology media Tom's Guide speculates that in terms of price, the product is expected to be cheaper than the Apple Watch (the starting price of the SE 3 is $249) and may be bundled with the latest Apple Watch or iPhone.

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Those who follow AI hardware should not be unfamiliar with the AI Pin. The US technology company Humane once ventured into this category but ended in failure.

In November 2023, Humane launched its first AI Pin (see the picture below), priced at a high $699 (approximately 5,091 yuan). Additionally, users need to pay $24 per month for data and AI model usage fees. The product aimed to explore "screenless interaction" and was equipped with an AI assistant powered by OpenAI's large - scale model.

The shiny veil woven by the novel concept and high price could not hide problems such as unclear projection, overheating, slow response, short battery life, and imperfect functions. Due to the continuous under - performance in the market, this device, which once boasted of "replacing mobile phones", was completely disconnected from the network on February 28, 2025, halting all AI and cloud service access and deleting all customer data. HP, a US - listed company, simultaneously announced that it had acquired Humane's "artificial intelligence capabilities" for a "heavily discounted" price of $116 million, including the company's AI platform Cosmos, relevant developers, and more than 300 patents.

The AI hardware market is becoming the next battleground for technology companies. According to a report by The Information last year, OpenAI is discussing a series of edge - side AI hardware products with suppliers, including wearable badges represented by the AI Pin, as well as smart speakers without displays, smart glasses, and digital voice recorders.

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At present, Apple has been reported to have a series of AI hardware plans, including AirPods with cameras, a lamp - shaped robot that can move on the desktop, and AI glasses without display functions.

In addition to the latest rumored AI Pin development plan, Apple will also cooperate with Google to launch a more personalized Siri in the next few months. Moreover, Bloomberg reported that Apple will upgrade the voice assistant Siri to an AI chatbot built into iPhones, iPads, and Macs in September.

Apple's AI journey has been bumpy. Looking at Apple's progress in recent years, Apple's AI, which has carried many expectations, has not only failed to gain unanimous approval from executives but also has underwhelming actual output. Previously, Apple postponed the Siri AI upgrade due to quality issues and reorganized the team. Recently, collaborating with Google to introduce an external model for Apple Intelligence may provide more practical support for the product.

This article is from the WeChat official account "Science and Technology Innovation Board Daily", author: Song Ziqiao. It is published by 36Kr with authorization.