The Tame Apple Press became moist this week, claiming that its favourite company might be putting out a new AI “pin” which no one wanted.
The AI pin that pairs with the almost-mythical AI-powered version of Siri, which may transform into “a chatbot”. That sounds less like progress and more like a weird extra gadget which no one wanted in their pocket.
Historically, Job’s Mob usually waits, watches rivals trip over themselves, then turns up with a tidy solution and claims it invented the whole thing. The original iPhone is the obvious example, and the company still tends to move only when it thinks the mess is worth fixing.
The Vision Pro arrived with better displays, more sensors, cameras and plenty of performance, and went nowhere. It was heavy, expensive and landed when mixed reality hype was already running out of steam.
Then there is the iPhone Air, thinner and lighter than other iPhones, the Galaxy S25 Edge and most mainstream phones. It has a small battery, one camera, a mono speaker and a design that gets hot fast under load.
These hardware stumbles are bad enough, but the AI efforts have been grim. The personalised Siri was promised almost two years ago and it is still missing, while Apple Intelligence shipped and then disappointed.
The rumoured AI pin looks worse when you look at the rest of the AI gadget pile. Most of it is either vaporware or a rushed wrapper around a chatbot you already have on your phone. There is no guarantee that Apple will ever release it, and it might just be part of Jobs Mob hype to maintain the impression it is still relevant.
Humane’s AI Pin shipped, cost a lot and barely worked. The Rabbit R1 was rough at launch, then improved after a major software update last year.
OpenAI is partnering with Jony Ive on a device that is still more mystery than product. Motorola is rumoured to be playing with an AI pin, but the talk says it is early days.
There are also AI companion trinkets like the Friend pendant and Plaud’s NotePin, which feel like extra steps to reach ChatGPT. Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses look like the closest thing to a hit, but it is unclear if buyers want the AI or just the camera.
The rumour says Job’s Mob might build something like a thick “AirTag” with cameras, which sounds like a solution in search of a problem. If it cannot get Siri and Apple Intelligence working properly on devices people already own, a new pin just adds another thing to charge, wear and swear at.
