Stream Smart Ring: Sandbar's Innovation for AI Voice Control

Former Meta employees, specializing in interface design, have launched a new startup called "Sandbar." The company has unveiled its first product, an innovative smart ring known as "Stream." This smart ring aims to simplify voice note-taking and music control, as well as provide a seamless way to interact with an AI-powered assistant.

From Meta to Sandbar: The Founders' Journey

Mina Fahmi, CEO of Sandbar, describes this innovative ring as a "mouse for sound," leveraging his extensive experience in human-computer interaction design. Fahmi previously worked at leading companies such as Brian Johnson's Kernel and Magic Leap, a company specializing in smart glasses. Kyril Hung, Sandbar's CTO, worked at Google before joining CTRL-Labs, where the founding duo met. Notably, Meta acquired CTRL-Labs in 2019, and its work later contributed to the development of advanced neural interfaces for Meta's smart wearables.

Why the Stream Smart Ring?

Fahmi explains that with the emergence of large language models (LLMs) a few years ago, he developed a journaling app. However, he quickly realized that the app itself was hindering the seamless process of jotting down his thoughts. This realization prompted Fahmi to explore the concept of a conversational hardware interface, leveraging his exceptional expertise in designing and building device interfaces.

In an interview with TechCrunch, Fahmi stated: "Many of my ideas form and crystallize during my walks or on my commute to work, and in those moments, I don't want to pull out my phone and break that flow. Also, I don't want to speak aloud into my earbuds, making my personal thoughts audible to the world. Kyril and I were focused on how to enable users to capture their thoughts at the moment they coalesce. From this thinking, the idea for the Stream smart ring emerged."

Stream Ring Design and Functions

The Stream smart ring is designed to be worn on the index finger of the dominant hand and is equipped with sensitive microphones and an integrated touchpad. In a virtual demonstration, Fahmi wore the ring and recorded his thoughts by continuously pressing the touchpad. The microphone is disabled by default and is only activated through this specific gesture. The microphone demonstrated a superior ability to capture even whispers and convert them into written text within the accompanying iOS app. Similar applications like Wispr Flow and Willow also allow users to jot down their thoughts with complete privacy and tranquility.

The accompanying Stream app includes an integrated AI chatbot that interacts with the user while recording thoughts. The app allows organizing these thoughts into separate notes that can be edited by the user or the AI. The app also offers a pinch-to-zoom feature and the ability to review conversations and notes over extended periods, whether days or weeks. To enhance the personal experience, Sandbar has added a customization feature that allows the assistant's voice to sound similar to the user's.

Fahmi indicated that in noisy or crowded environments, users can rely on headphones to speak with their smart assistant in complete privacy. If headphones are not used, the ring provides haptic feedback (vibrations) when a note is successfully recorded. This feature enables users to add tasks, jot down quick notes, or even check grocery list items quietly and efficiently.

In addition to its voice capabilities, the flat surface of the Stream ring functions as an integrated media controller. This control allows you to play audio tracks, pause them, skip tracks, and adjust the volume with ease. While many headphones offer similar controls, the ring stands out as a particularly practical and convenient solution when your hands are occupied or you are on the go, providing quick and intuitive control.

Pricing, Availability, and Funding

Sandbar announced the opening of pre-orders for the Stream smart ring on Wednesday. The ring is available for $249 for the silver version and $299 for the gold version. The company plans to begin shipping next summer. A Pro subscription is also available, offering early buyers three free months, after which it will be priced at $10 per month. This subscription provides unlimited conversations and notes, as well as early access to new features.

Fahmi affirmed that Sandbar gives users full control over their data at all levels, with encryption applied to both data at rest and data in transit. He explained that Sandbar does not believe in the concept of "walled gardens" and plans to seamlessly support data export to popular applications like Notion, enhancing user flexibility in managing their information.

Sandbar successfully raised $13 million in funding, with participation from leading investment firms such as True Ventures, Upfront Ventures, and Betaworks.

Sandbar in the Competitive AI Devices Market

Tony Schneider, a partner at True Ventures, stated that he was generally skeptical about the viability of AI devices, as the demonstrations he had seen before Stream were not convincing. Schneider added: "I think there's broad consensus that voice and AI are a great match. And many people agree that relying on a phone or even a laptop to interact with AI can be cumbersome when voice interaction is all that's needed. So, a new and innovative form factor had to emerge. We looked at many of these devices, but most didn't hit the mark. When Mina gave his demo of the Stream ring, it just made a lot of sense to us."

Competition in the voice AI devices sector is intensifying, with many companies exploring rings as a primary form factor. In this context, Fahmi stated that the goal of Stream is not to be merely an assistant or companion to the user, but rather an intuitive interface that allows users to express their thoughts freely while maintaining full control over the experience.

Dedicated AI devices have not yet achieved widespread market success. Humane was acquired by HP, while Rabbit is striving to improve user experience and engagement through continuous software updates, and Friend is attempting to leverage user feedback to drive growth. Therefore, it is up to Sandbar to prove that the ring form factor offers genuine convenience and value that competing devices such as pendants, pins, or bracelets cannot effectively provide.