Amazon's Bee Launches the $74.99 Frontier AI Wearable and a $99.99 Phone Attachment
The Frontier is on sale now on Amazon, while the Eclipse is listed as coming soon with no ship date. Both record conversations, and the full feature set needs the Pro subscription.
Bee has launched two new AI recording devices, the first since Amazon acquired the startup. The Bee Frontier costs $74.99 and is on sale now on Amazon.com, while the Bee Eclipse is priced at $99.99 and is still listed as coming soon. The full feature set on both requires a $11.99 monthly Bee Pro subscription (PPC Land, Startup Fortune).
Two devices, two shapes
| Bee device | Frontier | Eclipse |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $74.99 | $99.99 |
| Form | Clip or wristband | Credit-card-shaped disc, 4.6mm thick, attaches to the back of a phone (MagSafe; metal ring included) |
| Microphones | Dual, noise filtering | Three (Engadget) or four (Bee's page) |
| Battery | Up to 7 days (about 160 hours) | About 3 weeks (21+ days) |
| Other | IP67, USB-C, 40+ languages, single button | USB-C; can process both sides of a phone call when the user records |
| Colours | Black, lilac, moss (also called Onyx, Lavender, Sage) | Silver, midnight, honey, blush |
| Availability | On sale now | "Coming soon", no ship date |
On the Frontier, one press starts and stops recording, a long press records a voice note and a double press adds a bookmark, with a green light showing when it is on. Engadget says it replaces the $50 Pioneer, which is no longer sold, and is smaller and lighter.
The subscription is the real cost
Both devices work on a free tier with conversation summaries, recaps and 14 days of memory. Bee Pro, at $11.99 a month, adds unlimited summaries, suggested to-dos, daily memories, a personal chat assistant, conversation templates, the Mac and Windows desktop app, and integrations with Amazon.com, Alexa+ and third-party apps. New customers get 30 days of Pro free (Online Tech Tips).
Over a year, Pro costs about $144, roughly twice the price of the Frontier. Existing Bee customers keep their current features at no charge; founder Maria Zollo told Engadget those are "free forever." PPC Land notes that items mentioned in conversations can surface as recommendations on Amazon's homepage when the integration is on, which is worth knowing before connecting the two.
Privacy
Bee says audio is processed immediately and then deleted, and that transcripts are encrypted with keys only the user holds; those are company statements. Because the devices record conversations in public and private settings, and people nearby have no way to opt out, consent rules vary by place. In India, recording private conversations without consent can raise legal issues, so check the rules before wearing one in meetings or on calls. No Indian launch or price has been announced; listings are in US dollars on Amazon.com.
What to watch next
The Eclipse ship date, which countries get the devices, how far Amazon folds Bee into Alexa+, and independent tests of battery life and summary accuracy.
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