Why Humane’s Screenless AI Gadget Will Not Replace Your iPhone: An Honest Opinion

Humane, a Silicon Valley startup that has been generating buzz recently, has finally unveiled its secretive product in a TED talk by co-founder Imran Chaudhri. The company hopes its small, screenless, badge-like device will replace the smartphone, but as someone who has studied the tech industry for a long time, I believe that the gadget will not be able to replace your iPhone no matter how much Chaudhri wishes it would.

The Team Behind Humane

Humane’s team consists of ex-Apple talent, with around 50% of the company’s 200 employees coming from Apple. Chaudhri, one of the lead designers of the original iPhone, has contributed to a variety of Apple’s biggest products, and his name appears on thousands of patents. However, even with such an impressive team, Humane’s badge thing cannot replace your iPhone.

Why Humane’s Device is Not an iPhone Killer

Humane’s gadget is not able to replace the iPhone, primarily because people like smartphones for their ability to display things on a screen. The Humane device’s primary display appears to be a laser projected on your hand, showing a couple of lines of text and two buttons. You can’t scroll through social media platforms, watch YouTube, browse the web, read your email, or show a friend a picture on it. Humane’s attempt to replace your phone would result in replacing it with something that can’t do anything with the most tedious user interface imaginable.

Moreover, the iPhone is not just a pocket computer. It’s also a camera, which is the only camera for many iPhone users. Apple has spent years perfecting the iPhone camera, and it’s the only screen on which millions of people see their pictures. If people are asked to swap their iPhone for a badge worn on their shirt, they’ll also need to purchase a camera and a computer to sync it to, trading one device for three without solving the original problem.

Is Humane’s Device a Product or a Feature?

In the demo of the Humane device, Chaudhri took a phone call and asked the company’s AI assistant a few questions that Siri could not answer. Designers of all disciplines must ask themselves whether their product deserves to be a standalone product or whether it’s just a feature that can be added to an existing product. From what we have seen, Humane’s device is essentially a phone with a smart voice assistant. If Apple added AI-powered features to Siri, the iPhone would do everything that the Humane gadget can do, and it also has a screen.

Additionally, Apple already has a product that can do many things that Humane’s gadget can do. The Apple Watch can make phone calls, send texts, and has a voice assistant. It’s not just a subset of the iPhone but extends its capabilities with health and fitness tracking features. The watch can measure heart rate, activity, blood oxygen, and body temperature. It also takes an ECG and measures running posture. Therefore, the Apple Watch is more advanced than the Humane gadget, making it challenging for the latter to hold a position in the market.

Related Facts

• Humane has raised more than $230 million from investors.
• The startup hired ex-Apple talent, and approximately 50% of Humane’s employees are from Apple.
• Chaudhri, one of the founders of Humane, was one of the lead designers of the original iPhone, and his name appears on thousands of patents.
• People like smartphones because of their ability to display things on a screen.
• The iPhone is not just a pocket computer; it’s also a camera, which is the only camera for millions of iPhone users.
• Apple’s wearable device, the Apple Watch, is more advanced than the Humane gadget in terms of its features and capabilities.

Key Takeaway

The iPhone is a revolutionary device that has impacted the world in ways that we couldn’t have imagined. Humane’s device may have interesting AI features, but it still has a long way to go to take over the iPhone’s place in the market. It’s essential to understand that people love their smartphones, primarily for their screen, and that replacement gadgets should provide significant improvements and not just feature evolutionary changes.

Conclusion

The Humane screenless AI gadget is not a product that can replace your iPhone. Even with the impressive team of ex-Apple employees, such a device cannot perform the basic functions that a smartphone can. While AI features can be considered advancements, they are not significant enough for people to abandon their smartphones and switch to a different product, especially not one that lacks a screen.