rewrite this title The $89 OmiGPT Aims to Be a Smarter AI Wearable – Decrypt

While some companies have pursued pricey, high-concept visions of always-on AI wearables, one San Francisco startup is betting on a more affordable alternative: an $89 wearable called OmiGPT.

OmiGPT is an open-source wireless wearable about the size of a silver dollar. Made of lightweight aluminum, it features 64GB of storage, and connects to OpenAI’s ChatGPT via an API. The device can be worn on the wrist or as a necklace.

Though compact, it offers users a persistent link to ChatGPT—processing conversations and data when online, and saving information locally when offline. OmiGPT says the device is context-aware, meaning it uses sensors and AI to interpret a user’s environment, interactions, and questions, and responds accordingly.

The road to a breakout AI device has been littered with missteps—from the glitchy Humane AI Pin to the underwhelming launch of Rabbit’s R1. OmiGPT creator Nik Shevchenko is treading cautiously. Rather than racing to shelves, his team has started with developer kits to validate real-world use before courting everyday consumers.

“We’re doing it a bit differently. First, we’re only shipping developer kits,” Shevchenko told Decrypt. “We want to confirm the device is genuinely useful before shipping to consumers. Rabbit and Humane shipped to consumers right away—that’s the first big difference.”

That cautious rollout reflects a broader trend in wearable AI, where startups prioritize real-world utility over hype.

Shevchenko announced the OmiGPT in March in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Wearables are a growing part of the tech industry. Companies like Meta, Rabbit, ByteDance, Cudis, and Limitless are developing AI-powered devices that offer context-aware assistance. These devices adapt to the wearer’s surroundings, behavior, and real-time activity to deliver personalized support.​

The Humane AI Pin, launched in November 2023 for $699 as a potential smartphone replacement, suffered from technical issues and poor sales, leading to its discontinuation and HP’s acquisition of Humane’s assets for $116 million in February 2025.

The $199 Rabbit R1, a handheld AI assistant, also had a rocky start but gradually improved through frequent software updates, enhancing features like the Large Action Model (LAM), Magic Camera, and Generative UI. Even so, it remained less capable than mainstream devices like tablets and smartphones.

Features and availability

According to the Omi product page, the OmiGPT can capture conversations, set reminders, translate speech, and mimic the user’s tone. It offers local or cloud storage with privacy controls, and is open-source. The company said pre-orders will ship in Q2 2025.

“We saw that ChatGPT has billions of users, so we thought, why not help make it better?” Shevchenko said. “We connected our device directly to GPT. We didn’t even know it was possible—but it is.”



Inside the OmiGPT is a compact system centered around a custom-printed circuit board. This board acts as the brain of the device, connecting and controlling components including the microphone, rechargeable battery, power switch, and USB-C charging port. The components are housed inside a lightweight 3D-printed case.

Shevchenko noted that the OmiGPT does not have a speaker, so there is no need to worry about others hearing ChatGPT’s responses.

While OmiGPT can function without an active connection, its full capabilities are only unlocked once it reconnects. As Shevchenko explained, the device is most useful when it syncs and processes data online.

“It can still record without internet or your phone nearby, but you’ll only get real value once it reconnects,” Shevchenko said. “Let’s say you have an important conversation—you can save it on the device, and then once it’s back online, it’ll process everything and make it useful. So yeah, it needs the internet eventually, whether through your phone or Wi-Fi, to actually do its job.”

Shevchenko said the team isn’t chasing mass adoption right away—instead, they’re focused on building something people want to use. Next, Shevchenko said the company is working on AI-powered glasses similar to Meta’s AI glasses. More ambitiously, future Omi plans include a brain-computer interface functionality.

“This might sound a little arrogant, but we’re building these products for ourselves,” Shevchenko said. “I started these companies because I genuinely want to use them.”

He added: “If others buy it, awesome—they get to experience it too. But that’s not our top priority.”

Edited by Andrew Hayward