Katarzyna Petru
On the market for voice-enabled devices, there are increasingly more gadgets designed to make everyday life easier – from companionship, through productivity, to personal development. So far, we've seen products like the Plaud and Pocket cards, necklaces from Friend, Limitless and Taya, as well as the Bee wristband, which eventually made its way to Amazon. Now a completely new player joins the race – Stream, an intelligent ring created by former Meta employees.
“Voice Mouse” – Stream Ring from ChooseTV
The project is backed by the startup Sandbar, founded by Mina Fahmi and Kirak Hong – specialists who previously worked on user interfaces at Meta, Google, and Magic Leap. Their new product, Stream, is a ring that allows you to record voice notes, use an AI assistant, and control music. The company describes it as a “voice mouse” – a minimalist device that shifts the interaction with AI from the screen to gesture and speech.
Intuitive operation and privacy
Stream is placed on the index finger of the dominant hand. Built-in microphones and a touch panel activate only after being held down – this keeps the microphone turned off by default, ensuring privacy. A virtual demonstration of the device showed that the ring can pick up even whispers and automatically convert them into text in the mobile app.
Stream works with a dedicated app for iOS, where you can save notes, create task lists, and chat with the built-in AI chatbot. Moreover, the assistant's voice can be partially personalised to sound similar to the user. In crowded places, you can use the feature through headphones, and in silent mode, the ring notifies you of note registration with a light vibration.
Music Control and Premium Features
Besides voice functions, Stream also allows for media control – playing, pausing, changing tracks, and adjusting volume. This is particularly useful when your hands are busy or when you're on the move.
The ring starts at 249 dollars for the silver version and 299 dollars for the gold one, with shipping planned for summer 2026. For those who place a preorder, a three-month free access to the Pro plan is offered (after that, 10 dollars per month), providing unlimited notes, AI chats, and early access to new features.
Full control over data
Sandbar emphasizes that users have full control over their data – all information is encrypted both at rest and during transmission. The company does not intend to create a closed ecosystem – data can be exported, for example, to Notion.
The startup raised 13 million dollars in funding from True Ventures, Upfront Ventures, and Betaworks.
New wave of voice devices
Although the AI gadget market is still taking shape, competition is growing. Companies such as Humane, Rabbit, and Friend are already testing their own approaches. Mina Fahmi emphasises, however, that Stream is not meant to be an "assistant" or "companion," but rather a tool for freely expressing thoughts and ideas in a natural and non-intrusive way.
As Fahmi says: "Most of my ideas come to me when I'm walking or commuting to work. I don't want to take out my phone or speak into my earbuds loudly, where everyone can hear me. We wanted to create a way to capture a thought exactly at the moment it appears. That's how Stream was born."
Stream is a bold attempt to combine minimalism, privacy and AI in the form of a wearable device. If Sandbar actually delivers the promised convenience and precision, the ring may become the new standard for interacting with voice assistants – more natural than a phone or AR glasses.
