Humane's AI Pin Faces Setback as Returns Outpace Sales

Pricey AI Pins are being returned quicker than they are sold: 'It...

A bulky, expensive piece of wearable technology is being returned faster than it can be sold. Humane's AI Pin, which retails between $700 and $800 -- plus a $24 monthly subscription for $288 annually -- has seen all but about 7,000 units sent back to the company so far, The Verge reported. To date, about 10,000 Pins and accessories have been shipped, according to the outlet. Months ago upon release, the device, meant to be a camera-guided virtual assistant, had been panned heavily by reviewers. The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern described the huge lapel accessories as "Your grandma's heavy brooch designed by Iron Man's stylist." "What did I do to deserve this? The error messages. The delayed response times. The always-dead batteries," she continued. "My 2-year-old heard the Humane Pin say 'Input passcode' so many times he started running around the house yelling it." In total, the company has reportedly seen $1 million in returns -- and 1,000 of its units were canceled even before they were shipped. Adding insult to injury, there currently is no way to refurbish the returned models. "We knew we were at the starting line, not the finish line" when the AI Pin launched, spokesperson Zoz Cuccias told The Verge, adding that software updates were made to "address user feedback." In its own review, the outlet stated point-blank in a headline: "There's only one problem: it just doesn't work." The company's leadership, reported to be in flux by The Verge, also appears to have missed early warning signs reported by product testers. Users called it both "disorienting" and "frustrating" and griped that it worked nothing like seen in a corporate demonstration video. Feedback like that "ripped through the company like a bullet," per the outlet.

Humane AI Pins are being returned at a ridiculous pace

The company's only product, Humane AI Pin, is being returned en masse, with returns actually outpacing sales in the past couple of months. This is according to The Verge, who spoke to people with knowledge of the subject, and saw Humane's internal sales data. According to the report, more AI Pins were returned than purchased between May and August. And as of today, only 7,000 to 8,000 units have not been returned. The Humane AI Pin is an interesting product, a rectangular wearable gadget with speech recognition, AI smarts, a camera, and a tiny laser projector that can display a rudimentary "screen" onto your palm. Unfortunately, it was met with scathing reviews, exacerbated by issues with a charging case that turned out to be a fire hazard. I've personally spent a few minutes with the Humane AI Pin and found it to be an incredibly cool gadget, though Humane's ambitions of the AI Pin replacing the smartphone seemed unrealistic. Judging by this latest sales/returns data, the novelty of the AI Pin wears off fast (and the $24/month subscription fee probably doesn't help). Humane reportedly shipped a total of around 10,000 AI Pins so far, falling far behind its expectations to sell 100,000 units in the first year. To make matters worse, Humane reportedly cannot refurbish returned items due to a technical limitation related to T-Mobile's service, which effectively turns returned items into waste (and a total loss for the company). When asked for comment, Humane said that The Verge's report contained inaccuracies, without specifying what they are. A Bloomberg report in May said that Humane was looking for a buyer, and an NYT report in June said HP was interested. Given how its only product currently in the market is doing, Humane better start looking harder.

The Humane AI Pin is facing a wave of product returns

Sales of the Humane AI Pin were reportedly being outpaced by the number of product returns in the months after its release, as the future of the start-up looks uncertain. The disastrous release of the Humane AI Pin continues to cause problems for the company, as returns for the product are reportedly flooding in, The unique-looking pin launched in April with a hefty price tag of $699 and the promise of creating a new era for wearables. That new era may have to wait however, as the company has been hit with more than $1m worth of product returns, according to internal data seen by The Verge. This data suggests that the Humane AI Pin managed to gain more than $9m in lifetime sales, but that around 1,000 purchases were cancelled before shipping. This data also shows that sales slowed down rapidly, with the AI Pin having more returns than sales between May and August. A source told The Verge that the number of sold units still with customers is falling closer to 7,000, compared to around 8,000 units in June. The Humane AI Pin was teased towards the end of 2023, but there was a certain vagueness around its capabilities - being both a wearable device and a software platform. It also has ambitious features, such as a laser display that projects onto the user's palm. But in April, the launch of the AI Pin was met with a barrage of disappointed reviews, which included a range of complaints and scathing criticisms. One review by The Verge said the device "just doesn't work" and described it as an "interesting idea that is so thoroughly unfinished and so totally broken in so many unacceptable ways". YouTuber Marques Brownlee called it "the worst product" he's ever reviewed. The controversial device faced another problem for its image in June, as the company told customers to "immediately" stop using the product's charge case accessory due to safety concerns. With the details of the AI Pin's poor sales record, the future looks uncertain for this start-up. The New York Times reported in June that HP is considering purchasing the company, and The Information recently reported that Humane is trying to raise more funding. Find out how emerging tech trends are transforming tomorrow with our new podcast, Future Human: The Series. Listen now on Spotify, on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.

Humane's AI Pin see more returns than sales: Report

Humane's AI Pin has faced negative reviews since its launch in April this year. Between May and August, more AI Pins were returned than purchased, a report from The Verge said. The company has reportedly hit $1million in total returns against $9million sales, and only 7,000 units have not been returned, the report said. Additionally, Humane's AI Pin and accessories have brought in just over $9 million in lifetime sales and 1,000 purchases were cancelled before shipping. Around $1 million worth of the product has also been returned. The low sales figures project a troubling picture for Humane, which had raised over $200 million in funds from notable Silicon Valley executives like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff. (For top technology news of the day, subscribe to our tech newsletter Today's Cache) To date, around 10,000 Pins and accessories have been shipped, a meagre number compared to the 100,000 Pins the company hoped to ship within the first year. While Humane said there are inaccuracies in the Verge's reporting, "including financial data". The company refused to provide specifics on the financial data. Read Comments

Humane's AI Pin Reportedly Faces Major Setback As Returns Outnumber Sales: Marques Brownlee Says 'Shoutout To Everyone That Watched The Review And Still...'

The Humane AI Pin, launched in April, has been experiencing a significant setback as the product has reportedly seen more returns than sales from May to August, leading to a crisis for the company. What Happened: The AI Pin, priced at $699, has been met with overwhelmingly negative reviews. By June, only around 8,000 units hadn't been returned, reported The Verge, citing a source with direct knowledge of sales and return data. As of Thursday, the number of units still in customer's hands was closer to 7,000, and the device's daily returns have outpaced purchases, according to the report. See Also: Bernie Sanders Says Google May Be Worth $2 Trillion And Its Founders Worth $292B But It's Not Above Law: 'Break It Up' Humane is currently trying to stabilize its operations and maintain confidence among staff and potential acquirers. Reports suggest that HP is considering purchasing the company, and Humane is negotiating with its current investors to raise debt, which could later be converted into equity. The startup's spokesperson, Zoz Cuccias, disputed the accuracy of the report. In a statement to The Verge, the spokesperson particularly disputed the financial data but did not provide any specifics. Humane did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comments. After the report was published, tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee shared it on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, and said, "Shoutout to everyone that watched the review and still decided to buy one anyway." Brownlee has previously deemed Humane's AI pin as "the worst product" ever reviewed by him. Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox. Why It Matters: Humane has been facing challenges following the lackluster reception of its AI hardware product. Earlier, it was reported that the company, founded by former Apple executives Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, has been exploring a sale, with potential buyers seeking a sale price between $750 million and $1 billion. The aforementioned low sales figures are starkly contrasted by the more than $200 million Humane has secured from prominent Silicon Valley executives, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff. Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by following this link. Read Next: Jeff Bezos Once Said 'Life's Too Short To Hang Out With People Who Aren't Resourceful' -- Who Are The People That Helped The Amazon Founder Take Steps Toward Success Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Photo courtesy: Humane Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs