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The once promising Humane AI Pin turned out to be a bust. The device is officially dead, and HP has claimed all the juiciest assets. So, are AI pins another flash-in-the-pan product category, or are we still simply in the verticals’ infancy?
I just finished covering Mobile World Congress 2026 (MWC), the EU’s biggest tech show, where I saw one of the more promising new ‘personal AI wearables’ to launch since the demise of the lauded Humane AI Pin. Despite it being under glass, the Snapdragon processor-sporting Looki L1 officially gives me hope for the future of AI pins.
Please note, these impressions are subject to change based on, you know, actually testing a working model. That said, here are the five biggest reasons the Looki L1 wearable AI thingamabob is the first wearable AI thingamaboob I’d actually consider… wearing.
Ample AI power thanks to the W5 Gen 2 chip
I came across the Looki L1 under the blinding, daylight-balanced lights of the gargantuan Qualcomm/Snapdragon booth. The device sports the cutting-edge efficient, intelligent Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chip, built for wearables, which allows for all sorts of heady AI tasks, all without sucking down too much battery.
That said, battery life is rated at 12 hours per charge, which is roughly half the longevity I’d want in such a wearable. Then again, some of the best Apple Watch models in 2026 only last 18 hours per charge, so maybe 12 hours of battery isn’t too shabby for a first-gen product.
Capture photos, video and audio
The lightweight device can be attached to your shirt or worn around the neck with a lanyard. A 12-megapixel Sony camera module adorns the front (plus a microphone), which can be used to capture photos (up to 4K resolution, videos (up to 1080p), and audio.
Captured media can be saved and shared to the cloud or social media using the Looki L1’s companion app. The device can also lean on its AI bonafides to create custom short films based on user-suggested prompts. For example, you might say, ‘Looki, make me a highlight reel showing my favorite moments from the past five years with my dog.’
Voice-activated AI assistance
As you might expect, the Looki L1 supports voice commands and inquiries, with answers backed by a large language AI model like ChatGPT. Ultimately, if the functionality works nearly as well as the Gemini AI voice assistant found on the best Android smartwatches, like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and Pixel Watch 4, I'll be satisfied.
Whimsical design
Thanks to a small but boisterous group of individuals intent on pushing buttons of the general public with their POV recorded antics, wearable cameras are presently seen with a hesitant eye at best, and outright hostility at worst.
The Looki L1 doesn’t try to hide the fact that it’s essentially an oddly shaped wearable camera. That said, I’d argue that the physical aesthetic of the gadget — which, to me, resembles a cartoon cat with its paws outstretched, ready to give you a hug — is anything but sinister/fear-invoking.
It’s available now for $199
One of the best aspects of the Snapdragon-sporting Looki L1 is the simple fact that it's actually for sale via Looki, right now, to anyone who wants one; in three snazzy colors to boot! The cost is a reasonable $199, though you'll need a dataplan to make the most of it. Budget around $10 a month for that.
What do you think, is the Snapdragon Looki L1 something you'd try? What if the first year of data costs were waived with the purchase of the device? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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