Feed: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
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Title: The AI-powered Stream Ring is designed for on-the-fly voice notes

Date: Thu, 06 Nov 2025 14:35:30 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/wearables/the-ai-pow...

Two former Meta employees are launching a new AI-powered smart ring. Stream
Ring is the debut product from Sandbar, and itΓÇÖs available to pre-order
right now. Sandbar describes Stream as "your extended self," which is to say
that itΓÇÖs a deliberately minimalist smart ring that you can use to take
voice notes and interact with a chatbot directly using the built-in touch-
activated microphone.

When you create a voice note, the Stream Ring uses haptic feedback to confirm
that itΓÇÖs been recorded. You hold the sensor to speak and tap it if you
want to interrupt and start over. It can automatically transcribe your voice
interactions, whether youΓÇÖre simply compiling a grocery list on the go,
asking it to fetch some information from the web, or having a more back-and-
forth conversation with the device. These notes will appear in the Stream app
via Bluetooth, which will be iOS-only at launch.

Sandbar thinks a ring is the best form for its wearable to take as itΓÇÖs
always available and accessible, whatever youΓÇÖre doing, so you easily can
log a thought as soon as it pops into your head. It wants people to think of
the Stream Ring as a "mouse for voice," and says the mic will always be able
to pick up your voice clearly in a noisy room. Crucially, it isnΓÇÖt always
listening either, only activating when you hold the touchpad.

As for the chatbot, itΓÇÖs designed by default to somewhat mimic your own
voice using AI, a feature Sandbar calls Inner Voice. You can update it if you
think it sounds off, or if the whole concept creeps you out you can also
switch to a non-personalized voice. Away from the core voice note
functionality, the Stream Ring can also be used to control media playback
using gestures, and Sandbar says itΓÇÖs compatible with any headphones.

Sandbar will offer a free plan that includes unlimited notes but limits AI
interactions. For $10 per month you can upgrade to a Stream Pro subscription
(you get three months for free with a new purchase), which enables unlimited
chats and immediate access to any new features. Sandbar says your data is
encrypted at rest and in transit and it will not sell your information to
other companies. You can also delete data stored in the app at any time.

Other smart rings have promised a seamless interactive experience built
around AI, and the Stream Ring isnΓÇÖt going down the health tracking route
that many other products in this increasingly crowded space market themselves
on. But if the transcription feature works as reliably as advertised and
SandbarΓÇÖs AI proves to be a genuinely useful assistant, the Stream Ring
could be a useful accessory that doesnΓÇÖt get in the way when it isnΓÇÖt
needed.

The Stream Ring is available in sizes 5-13 and is designed to be worn on your
index finger. Sandbar promises "all-day battery life" but doesnΓÇÖt go into
specifics. ItΓÇÖs expected to start shipping next summer in the US and costs
$249.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/wearables/the-ai-pow...
on-the-fly-voice-notes-143530840.html?src=rss

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