Comparison
Looking for a Friend pendant alternative?
Friend is a pendant you wear as an AI companion: it listens while connected and answers out loud. Lychnos Ring is a different kind of companion: it hears you only when you hold its button.
In short. Friend costs $249, needs an iPhone and ships to the US and Canada; it is always listening while connected. Lychnos Ring is in development for Europe, listens only while you hold its button, and works without your phone after set-up.
Side by side
| Lychnos Ring | Friend | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | In development; free list open | On sale; ships to the US and Canada only |
| Price | Expected €299 | $249 |
| Plan | €9.99 a month for the first buyers in the first year; later expected €14.99 to €19.99 | Optional $9.99 a month keeps its memories; on the free plan they fade after 30 days |
| Listening | Only while you hold the button | Always listening while connected |
| Talks back | Yes: at your ear, with a line on its screen | Yes: out loud, or as text in its app |
| Phone | For set-up only; then its own eSIM (design) | Requires an iPhone and its app |
Sources, checked 3 November 2026: friend.com and The Gadgeteer, 31 July 2026. Lychnos Ring’s figures are design targets. Prices and features change.
Two ideas of a companion
Some people want a companion that hears their whole day; others want one that waits to be asked. A microphone that is always on also hears the people around you, at work, at home and on the train. Lychnos Ring waits for your finger on the button.
Talking with Lychnos
You can talk with Lychnos for as long as you like, think out loud or ask for advice. It is an AI, and it says so. More in an AI companion, there when you reach for it.