Still, even after all this frustration, after spending hours standing in front of restaurants tapping my chest and whispering questions that go unanswered, I find I want what Humane is selling even more than I expected. A one-tap way to say, “Text Anna and tell her I’ll be home in a half-hour,” or “Remember to call Mike tomorrow afternoon,” or “Take a picture of this and add it to my shopping list” would be amazing. I hadn’t realized how much of my phone usage consists of these one-step things, all of which would be easier and faster without the friction and distraction of my phone.

But the AI Pin doesn’t work. I don’t know how else to say it.

Upshot: intriguing category, half-baked device. Even worse when considering the cost.

This group of devices feels like it should absolutely start out as a slight tweak of watch hardware and the rest of the R&D should be improving the phone’s AI assistant capabilities. Until it’s ready to replace the phone, it won’t, so build toward a future where people will accept it once it’s technically feasible.