Since the beginning of the AI hype, there have been a variety of approaches to bringing a user device focused on interaction with LLM-based assistants onto the market – from the Rabbit R1 to AI Pin and Friend to Button. Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and the integrated AI company xAI (now: SpaceXAI), also has something similar in mind. In a meeting with key investors shortly before the initial issuance of SpaceX shares, the entrepreneur presented an extremely flat prototype, reports the Wall Street Journal. Not much is known about the device. Those present reported sparse details about the pre-production model: sleek design, Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, proprietary operating system – and “thinner than an iPhone”. There is no date for the market launch. It could be that this device never appears and never leaves prototype status. There has been no public announcement yet.
Many developments, little success
A wide variety of companies are researching devices with novel operating interfaces based on LLM interaction. OpenAI has publicly taken over the company “io”, founded by Jony Ive, to develop a (unspecified) hardware product. It won’t be released until 2027 at the earliest. The AI pin flopped and the servers necessary for its use were shut down in February 2025. Rabbit R1 still exists, the current version 2.2 of the operating system retrofits a communication channel with OpenClaw. The constantly listening, neck-worn buddy simulation “Friend” has so far been unable to convince many users. Meta’s smart glasses are probably the most successful.
Apple relies on multifunction
Apple integrates AI more as an additional interaction option and emphasizes data protection aspects. The HomePod series can be considered a possible (infamous) exception: many users find voice interaction via Siri to be slow, limited and error-prone. However, rumors say that Apple is researching AI glasses and wants to bring them to market as soon as possible.
