Omi
[commercial]wearable · food-service · 1 deployments in catalog
Verified: Omi (by Based Hardware; founder/CEO Nik Shevchenko, Thiel Fellow; San Francisco; ~$700K raised) is a shipping AI necklace in the ambient-recording 'second brain' category. One of the few TRULY open-hardware entries in the cohort (MIT-licensed, actively maintained). maturity=commercial., DISAMBIGUATION: Omi is DISTINCT from Friend (Avi Schiffmann's AI companion pendant, in registry as friend-pendant). Nik Shevchenko's device was originally also called 'Friend' but was renamed to Omi after Schiffmann's competing device bought friend.com (~$1.8M). Keep separate., AI-substance: genuine (cloud): Real cloud AI (GPT-4o): ambient transcription, auto-summaries/tasks, searchable memory, daily recaps. Not veneer. Captive-vs-sale: hardware SALE + optional SaaS subscription (user owns device; can self-host given the open stack)., CAP-FLAG (aspirational EEG/brain-interface claims): Marketing (CES 2025 headlines: 'reads your mind', detect when you address it via neural signal) is UNVERIFIED: TechCrunch explicitly could not verify the brain interface; the SHIPPING product is audio-only; the brain/BCI module is roadmap (2026-2027, priority-access) with NO EEG/BCI implementation in the repo (only a 'BCI' topic tag). Treat all neural/mind-reading claims as aspirational. '250+ developer apps' is company-claimed, not audited.
Manufacturer
Based HardwareForm Factor
wearable
Lifecycle
commercial
Operational Reality
Audited
Deployments
1
Target Price
$19 (actual sale price)
- COMMERCIAL
Description
Omi, by Based Hardware (founder and CEO Nik Shevchenko, a Thiel Fellow, in San Francisco, with about $700,000 raised), is a shipping AI necklace in the ambient-recording 'second brain' category: a small circular orb worn on a neck lanyard that captures conversations and runs them through GPT-4o for ambient transcription in more than 25 languages, auto-summaries and tasks, a searchable memory database, daily recaps, and a Brain Map. It sells for $89 as a consumer unit or about $70 as a dev unit, with a free tier of unlimited on-device transcription plus 1,200 cloud minutes a month and an Omi Unlimited plan from $16 a month, on a hardware-sale-plus-subscription model where the user owns the device. It is one of the few genuinely open-hardware entries in the cohort, with an MIT-licensed GitHub repository of around 12,700 stars containing firmware, mobile and desktop apps, a backend, and open hardware designs, actively maintained into 2026. A disambiguation worth recording: Omi is distinct from Friend, Avi Schiffmann's AI companion pendant already in the registry, since Shevchenko's device was originally also called Friend and was renamed Omi after Schiffmann's competing device acquired the friend.com domain. The AI is genuine cloud functionality rather than veneer. A significant cap-flag applies to the aspirational marketing: CES 2025 headlines describing a brain interface that reads your mind via neural signal are unverified, with TechCrunch explicitly unable to verify the brain interface, the shipping product being audio-only, and the brain-computer-interface module remaining a 2026-2027 roadmap item with no EEG implementation in the open repository, so all neural and mind-reading claims are treated as aspirational.
Key facts & specs
- website
- https://www.omi.me/pages/product
- maturity
- commercial
- lifecycle
- active
- manufacturer
- Based Hardware
- deployments count
- 1
- Maturity stage
- commercial
- Specs
- Small circular orb (~2.5cm) on a neck lanyard (also head-mountable). $89 consumer / ~$70 dev (one-time). Free tier: unlimited on-device transcription + 1,200 cloud min/mo; Omi Unlimited from $16/mo. GPT-4o cloud AI: ambient transcription (25+ languages), auto-summaries/tasks, searchable memory DB, daily recaps, 'Brain Map'. Genuinely open-source (GitHub BasedHardware/omi, MIT, ~12.7k stars, firmware + Flutter/macOS apps + open hardware incl. 'Omi Glass').
- Form Factor
- wearable (AI necklace orb; ambient recording / 'second brain' transcription + recall)
- Price
- $89 consumer unit, ~$70 dev unit
- Subscription
- Omi Unlimited from $16/month; free tier includes 1,200 cloud minutes/month
- Sensor suite
- Audio-only (shipping product); brain-computer interface module is 2026-2027 roadmap item
- Supported languages
- 25+ languages for ambient transcription
Availability and pricing
- price
- $19 (actual sale price) · as of 2026-01-01
- lead time
- Not disclosed
- sales model
- Not disclosed
- availability
- Shipping now
- units in field
- Not disclosed
- pricing Model
- Not disclosed
Safety record
No incidents on record for Omi.
FAQ
What is Omi?
Omi, by Based Hardware (founder and CEO Nik Shevchenko, a Thiel Fellow, in San Francisco, with about $700,000 raised), is a shipping AI necklace in the ambient-recording 'second brain' category: a small circular orb worn on a neck lanyard that captures conversations and runs them through GPT-4o for ambient transcription in more than 25 languages, auto-summaries and tasks, a searchable memory database, daily recaps, and a Brain Map. It sells for $89 as a consumer unit or about $70 as a dev unit, with a free tier of unlimited on-device transcription plus 1,200 cloud minutes a month and an Omi Unlimited plan from $16 a month, on a hardware-sale-plus-subscription model where the user owns the device. It is one of the few genuinely open-hardware entries in the cohort, with an MIT-licensed GitHub repository of around 12,700 stars containing firmware, mobile and desktop apps, a backend, and open hardware designs, actively maintained into 2026. A disambiguation worth recording: Omi is distinct from Friend, Avi Schiffmann's AI companion pendant already in the registry, since Shevchenko's device was originally also called Friend and was renamed Omi after Schiffmann's competing device acquired the friend.com domain. The AI is genuine cloud functionality rather than veneer. A significant cap-flag applies to the aspirational marketing: CES 2025 headlines describing a brain interface that reads your mind via neural signal are unverified, with TechCrunch explicitly unable to verify the brain interface, the shipping product being audio-only, and the brain-computer-interface module remaining a 2026-2027 roadmap item with no EEG implementation in the open repository, so all neural and mind-reading claims are treated as aspirational.
How much does Omi cost?
Omi is listed at $19 (monthly subscription) on the DEPLOY registry. This is an actual sale price on record.
Is Omi actually deployed in the real world?
Yes. Omi is independently verified in real-world operation on the DEPLOY registry, confirmed at named deployment sites with primary sources: not a concept, render, or demo-only.
Who makes Omi?
Omi is made by Based Hardware, based in unknown, founded in 2024.
Where is Omi deployed?
1 verified deployment of Omi is on the DEPLOY registry, including at Global.
Can you buy Omi?
Omi is available for purchase - a real sale price is on record (see the pricing section for the figure and its source).
What are alternatives to Omi?
On the DEPLOY registry, comparable wearable robots to Omi include Synchron Stentrode, Bee AI Wearable, Bee Pioneer, Esper Hand.
How does Omi compare to Synchron Stentrode?
Omi and Synchron Stentrode (Synchron · 5 deployments) are both wearable robots on the DEPLOY registry. Omi has 1 verified deployment on record. Compare both records for specs, safety, deployments, and verified-vs-claimed autonomy.
Is Omi a top wearable?
On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, safety, adoption, media, and IP signals, Omi ranks in roughly the top 24% of wearable models tracked by the registry.
What is Omi's maturity stage?
Omi is at the commercial stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Commercial stage means production-grade deployments are operating at named customer sites.
Is Omi safe?
Omi has no incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. This does not constitute a safety guarantee; it reflects the incidents DEPLOY has tracked and verified to date.
What is the Omi AI wearable?
Omi is an AI necklace that captures conversations, creates tasks, reminders, and advice using AI. It generates to-do lists, follow-ups, and smart reminders from real-world conversations. Works on desktop, phone, and as a wearable. Trains to recognize the user's voice.