Humane has had a tough go with the launch of its Ai Pin launch this year and a new report from The Verge reveals just how bad things are. Alongside selling a fraction of what the company aimed for, internal sales data shows that Ai Pin returns have been outpacing sales between May and August.
As a refresher, Humane spent about six years and over $200 million to create its Ai Pin to help free us from smartphones.
However, at launch, the device was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews. That included MKBHD calling it the “worst product I’ve ever reviewed” and The Verge saying “not even close”.
It’s no surprise sales and adoption have been weak and in the short months since the April launch, and there have been rumors of HP being in talks to acquire Humane. But just how bad is the situation? The new scoop reveals a grim picture.
The Verge says it was able to see Humane’s internal sales data and more Ai Pins were returned than purchased between May and August.
By June, only around 8,000 units hadn’t been returned, a source with direct knowledge of sales and return data told me. As of today, the number of units still in customer hands had fallen closer to 7,000, a source with direct knowledge said.
That’s generated a mere $9 million in revenue compared the the hundreds of millions spent on the product. And estimates put the total Ai Pins sold at around 10,000 – that’s just 10% of Humane’s goal of shipping 100,000 devices by April 2025.
Humane says some of the data reported by The Verge includes “inaccuracies” but when asked what they were, the Humane spokesperson had no further comment.
Strangely, Humane doesn’t allow users to remove their data and sell the device. With that in mind, the company has gone above and beyond allowing customers to return Ai Pin outside of the return window.
Humane told The Verge it is “committed to unlocking a new era of ambient and contextual computing” but it’s seen the loss of engineering talent and executed a 4% layoff amid its sales and revenue challenges.
What do you think? Does Humane’s device have a chance to survive and mature? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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