Humanpods earbuds are Samantha from 'Her' but less dystopian

At CES 2025, Swiss tech startup Natura Umana is the latest to dive into the rapidly growing trend of minimalist tech designed to free us from our ever-increasing reliance on smartphones.

Following in the footsteps of devices like the Rabbit R1 and the Humane Pin, Natura’s Humanpods promise to deliver a sleek, hands-free experience powered by a personalized AI assistant. The goal? To redefine how we interact with technology and, hopefully, reduce the dopamine-driven doom scrolls that come with constant phone use.

Thanks to the previous products mentioned, it's easy to be cynical about Humanpods. We got a chance to test out the Humanpods, and based on our initial experience, Natura Umana might have the juice.

Humanpods run on Natura's NatureOS, a companion app for iOS and Android that bridges the voice-controlled earbuds and the AI assistant. Through the app, users can engage with "AI People" designed to simulate human-like interactions. Currently, the Humanpods offer three AI personalities: Athena, the fitness trainer; Hector, the therapist; and Nature, a general-purpose assistant. According to Natura, each AI comes with its own distinct personality, and during our demo, we even had the option to have the AIs interact with each other or switch seamlessly between them at our request.

Users can also use other large language models like ChatGPT, Claude AI, and Gemini without the need to open any other app.

The Humanpods are designed with all-day comfort in mind. Natura founder Carlo Edoardo Ferraris said the goal is for users to "put it on in the morning and forget it's there."

Featuring Natura's patented "Gravity Hooks," the earbuds fit snugly and comfortably, though long-term wearability remains to be seen.

Sound quality impressed during our demo, even in the noisy Caesars Palace convention center. While the AI handled commands well in loud settings, occasional lag and confusion arose when multiple voices interacted within the earbuds' range.

What we’ve seen so far is impressive, but the use of multiple AIs designed to personally get to know you naturally raises privacy concerns. According to the company, it claims that all sensitive information is stored locally and with explicit user permission.

The Humanpods don’t have a confirmed release date yet, but Ferraris expressed confidence that they’ll hit the market sometime in Q1 of this year. As for pricing, the company aims to keep it accessible, targeting a range around $100—comparable to the lower-end Apple AirPods.

If you’re eager to try them, you can join Natura Umana’s waitlist on their website.

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