Returns outpace sales as customers send back $1 million of Humane Ai Pins

Humane has seen more returns than purchases of its Ai Pin since the $700 wearable device went on sale in April. By June, only 8,000 units had not been returned, and as of Wednesday, that figure had dropped by 13%. It means only about 7,000 units remain with customers. The Verge first reported this development, citing internal sales data.

According to the internal data, Humane sold $9 million worth of the Ai Pin and its related accessories, out of which over $1 million worth has been returned. To date, the San Francisco-based startup has shipped around 10,000 Ai Pins and accessories. Buyers canceled 1,000 purchases before they could be shipped, as per reports.

Humane launches to poor reviews 

Humane hoped to ship 100,000 of its flagship product within the first year. However, its plans hit a brick wall after the device debuted to unfavorable reviews, with returns starting shortly after the release. One reviewer concluded the Ai Pin “is an interesting idea that is so thoroughly unfinished and so totally broken in so many unacceptable ways.”

Renowned tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee described the Ai Pin as the “worst product ever reviewed”. Things got worse for Humane. In June, the company warned Ai Pin users to stop using the charging case that came with the screenless wearable due to a “fire safety risk.”

Users have also been reluctant to pay the initial $700 purchase price for the Pin, plus another $24 monthly subscription for a T-Mobile unlimited data plan that also includes cloud storage.

Humane’s meagre sales are in stark contrast to the founders’ apparent inflated estimates of the Ai Pin’s capabilities – promises that landed the firm $200 million in funding from investors including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Humane founders seek to sell the company amid turmoil 

The battery defect does not help the founders’ ongoing attempts to sell the company for between $750 million and $1 billion after a bumpy launch. The New York Times reported in June that HP was considering buying the company. Humane was founded in 2018 by Apple veterans and couple, Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno.

Humane spokesperson Zoz Cuccias told The Verge there were inaccuracies in reporting, “including the financial data”. However, she refused to provide further details saying, “We do not comment on financial data, and will refer it to our legal counsel.”

The Ai Pin is a computer that is magnetically worn into the user’s clothing and projected to the palm rather than a screen. The device comes with two battery boosters, a charging pad, a charging case, a cable, and an adapter. According to Humane, the device is meant to help people improve their productivity, using hands-free voice commands to make calls, send texts, or access information from the internet.