On the brilliant stage of the 2025 Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show (CES), San Francisco startup Based Hardware grandly released its revolutionary AI wearable device, Omi. This device has attracted global attention with its unique "brain-computer interface" technology, aiming to bring unprecedented work efficiency improvements to users through innovative ways of human-computer interaction. Omi's design philosophy breaks the limitations of traditional wearable devices. It can be worn on the neck like a smart necklace, or fixed to the side of the head with medical tape, real "mind control".
Omi was born from the vision of founder Nick Shevchenko. Initially, the device was unveiled on Kickstarter under the name "Friend" but had to be renamed because it was duplicated with another San Francisco hardware company. Shevchenko said that this name change is not only a process of brand reshaping, but also a rethinking of product positioning. Against the backdrop of the current mixed AI device market, Omi is committed to becoming the perfect complement rather than a replacement for smartphones, and this differentiation strategy may be the key to its success.
From the perspective of product design, Omi adopts a simple round appearance, and the affordable price of $89 makes it extremely competitive in the market. The developer version was first launched at about $70, providing technology enthusiasts with an opportunity to experience it in advance. In terms of functions, Omi can not only answer user questions and summarize conversation content, but also intelligently create to-do items and assist in arranging meetings. It is the ultimate form of a personal assistant. Its core technology is based on the GPT-4o model, which can provide accurate suggestions based on the user's personalized background to achieve true intelligent interaction.
In terms of data security, Based Hardware adopts an open and transparent strategy. Omi is developed based on the open source platform, and users can fully control their data flow. They can choose cloud storage or save data on local devices. This design not only eliminates users' concerns about privacy, but also provides developers with broad space for innovation. At present, the Omi App Store has launched more than 250 applications, covering multiple fields such as life, work, and entertainment, showing strong ecological potential.
On the funding side, Based Hardware has successfully raised about $700,000, of which $150,000 is used to produce high-quality promotional videos. Shevchenko emphasized that the user base is the core driving force for product success, and the company will continue to seek more investment and expand its product influence in the future. Although Omi's "brain-computer interface" technology is still facing doubts, during the live demonstration at CES, Shevchenko successfully obtained summary information from TechCrunch through focused thinking, demonstrating the huge potential of this technology.
Looking ahead, Omi is not only a smart device, but also the pioneer of a new era of human-computer interaction. Today, with the rapid development of AI technology, the emergence of Omi has injected new vitality into the wearable device market. With the continuous improvement of technology and the continuous optimization of user experience, Omi is expected to become another important technological product to change human lifestyle after smartphones.