Two former Meta employees have launched Sandbar, a startup introducing Stream, a smart ring designed to capture voice notes, interact with AI assistants, and control music. Positioned as a “mouse for voice,” Stream offers a discreet, hands-free way to record thoughts and manage audio, aiming to enhance productivity and personal expression without interrupting daily moments.
Voice-Based Hardware Devices on the Rise
The market has seen a surge in voice-focused hardware aimed at companionship, productivity, and personal growth. Examples include card-shaped devices from Plaud and Pocket; pendants from Friend, Limitless, and Taya; and a wristband from Bee, now part of Amazon.
Introducing Stream: A Ring for Voice Interaction
Sandbar’s Stream ring is designed to be worn on the index finger of the dominant hand. It features microphones and a touchpad, enabling users to record voice notes, interact with an AI assistant, and control music playback. The company describes it as a “mouse for voice,” emphasizing its role as an intuitive interface for capturing ideas and managing audio without the need to pull out a phone or speak loudly.
The Team Behind Sandbar
Sandbar’s CEO, Mina Fahmi, has a rich background in human-computer interface design, having worked at Kernel and Magic Leap. CTO Kirak Hong previously worked at Google and CTRL-Labs, where he met Fahmi. Meta acquired CTRL-Labs in 2019, and their work contributed to neural interfaces for Meta’s smart wearables.
How Stream Works
In a virtual demonstration, Fahmi showed how pressing and holding the ring’s touchpad activates the microphone, which is otherwise off by default. The microphone is sensitive enough to pick up whispers, transcribing them in the companion iOS app. This allows users to quietly capture thoughts without disturbing others.
Features and User Experience
The Stream app includes an AI chatbot that interacts with users as they record thoughts. Notes can be organized, edited by either the user or AI, and reviewed over time with pinch-to-zoom functionality. The assistant’s voice is personalized to resemble the user’s voice. In noisy environments, users can wear headphones for private conversations with the assistant. The ring also provides haptic feedback to confirm note registration and doubles as a media controller for play, pause, skipping tracks, and volume adjustment.
Pricing, Availability, and Data Privacy
Pre-orders for Stream open at $249 for the silver version and $299 for gold, with shipping expected next summer. A Pro subscription offers unlimited chats and notes, early feature access, and is free for three months for preorders, then $10 per month. Sandbar emphasizes user data control, with encryption at rest and in transit, and plans to support data exports to apps like Notion.
Funding and Market Competition
Sandbar has raised $13 million from True Ventures, Upfront Ventures, and Betaworks. Toni Schneider of True Ventures praised Stream’s demo for hitting the mark where others fell short. The voice-AI hardware space is competitive, with many exploring ring form factors. Fahmi envisions Stream not as a companion but as a tool for users to express ideas while maintaining control. While AI hardware has yet to reach mainstream success, Sandbar aims to demonstrate the unique convenience and value of its ring compared to other wearable devices.