Friend AI Necklace Returns With Speaker and Tripled Price, Same Controversies

Based Hardware's Friend AI companion necklace launched a second iteration in July 2026 with a built-in speaker enabling aloud responses—and a price tag of $249, more than double the original $99 launch price two years earlier. The relaunch marks an attempt to revive a product that faced widespread public backlash, privacy litigation, and a suspended EU launch over data handling concerns.