Amazon unveiled the $75 Bee Frontier wearable and $100 Bee Eclipse smartphone-mounted recorder on Thursday, the first hardware update to its Bee AI listening device lineup since acquiring the San Francisco startup in July 2025.
Amazon on Thursday unveiled two new AI-powered listening devices under its Bee brand — a $75 wearable bracelet and a $100 smartphone-mounted recorder — extending its push into the AI hardware market as the holiday shopping season approaches.
The Bee Frontier is an updated version of the existing Bee wearable, capable of being worn on a wrist or clipped to clothing. It carries a price of $75, up from the $50 predecessor, and retains up to seven days of battery life. The device features upgraded dual microphones with improved noise filtering, which Amazon says allows it to isolate relevant audio "even in noisy environments like a crowded restaurant or open office," the company said in a blog post.
The second device, the Bee Eclipse, is a credit card-sized gadget that magnetically attaches to the back of a smartphone rather than being worn on the body. It is priced at $100. The Bee Frontier became available Thursday; Amazon said the Bee Eclipse "will be available soon."
Both devices are equipped with microphones, artificial intelligence, and software capable of recording, transcribing, and analyzing conversations in real time.
Amazon acquired Bee, a San Francisco startup known for its always-listening bracelet, in July 2025 for an undisclosed amount. Thursday's launch marks the first update to the Bee product lineup since that acquisition.
Unlike Amazon's Echo smart speakers — which begin listening only after a wake word — Bee devices record continuously when switched on. Amazon says this persistent-listening design enables features such as conversation summaries, the ability to review "memories from the past few days," and the tracking of recurring "trends or themes" to generate personalized goals or recommendations.
A Bee Pro subscription, priced at $12 per month, unlocks unlimited conversation summaries and daily memory logs, along with integrations with Amazon's webstore, its Alexa+ AI assistant, and third-party applications.
Amazon said the devices are designed so that "no one, including Amazon, can access your data." The company added that no audio is ever stored, that users can delete transcripts and summaries at any time, and that an LED light signals when a device is actively recording.
The Bee lineup enters a crowded AI wearables market. Meta has reported growing adoption of its AI-infused smart glasses, which carry a built-in camera and have drawn scrutiny from privacy advocates, civil rights groups, and lawmakers. Meta has also announced a palm-sized pendant called Muse Charm running its Muse AI assistant. Other competitors include Plaud, which offers a card-shaped note-taking device, and Friend, which sells an AI necklace.
The Bee launch is part of a broader Amazon hardware refresh timed to the holiday season. The company also recently replaced its budget Fire tablet line with three new AI-integrated Alexa Tablets, while Microsoft showcased an Nvidia-powered Windows laptop and Apple unveiled its HomeView smart home hub featuring Siri AI.
The always-on nature of Bee devices is likely to intensify questions around consumer privacy that have already accompanied competing products, and how regulators respond to the broader category of ambient AI hardware will be a key variable for Amazon and its rivals heading into 2027.
Sara Montes de Oca is the Editor in Chief of TechEchelon. Previously a correspondent and producer in Washington, D.C., covering business, finance, and politics.
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