ByteDance Ventures Into AI-Powered Wearables with Ola Friend Earbuds

ByteDance, the company behind the immensely popular TikTok app, has taken a bold step into the hardware space by launching its first pair of AI-enabled earbuds, Ola Friend. Unveiled on Thursday, the open-ear wearables are currently available only in China. These earbuds come equipped with ByteDance’s generative AI (GenAI) chatbot, allowing users to interact with the AI assistant directly, without the need to access their smartphones.
This marks a significant move by ByteDance to blend its AI capabilities with hardware innovation, as the company expands beyond its core software products.

AI at Your Fingertips—No Smartphone Needed
The Ola Friend earbuds are designed to serve as a hands-free audio assistant in a variety of everyday scenarios, such as when traveling, practicing English, listening to music, or simply seeking casual company. The device can be activated with a specific wake word, “Doubao Doubao,” named after ByteDance’s GenAI service, Doubao, which was launched last year. The service is powered by the company’s large language model, a sophisticated AI technology similar to that used in OpenAI's ChatGPT.
The GenAI integration makes the Ola Friend more than just an audio accessory. It positions the earbuds as a highly interactive and intelligent companion, capable of answering questions, assisting with tasks, and facilitating learning— all through natural conversation.

The Tech Behind Ola Friend
Each earbud weighs just 6.6 grams and is available in four sleek color options: purple, silver, black, and white. Priced at 1,199 yuan (approximately $170 USD), the device is set to ship starting October 17. Consumers can order it through popular e-commerce platforms like Alibaba's Tmall, JD.com, and ByteDance's own Douyin, the Chinese counterpart to TikTok.
The product launch comes just a month after ByteDance completed its acquisition of Oladance, a start-up based in Shenzhen, which has been a hub for tech innovation. This acquisition seems to have fast-tracked ByteDance’s entry into the competitive wearables market.

Competing in the AI and Wearables Space
ByteDance’s foray into wearables comes amid a broader industry trend of merging AI technology with consumer gadgets. After the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late 2022, the global race to develop cutting-edge AI products intensified, and ByteDance quickly capitalized on the momentum. The company has doubled down on generative AI, a move that has started to pay off.
Doubao, ByteDance’s GenAI app, has rapidly become the most widely used AI chatbot in China, boasting 47 million monthly active users (MAUs) as of September. This places Doubao ahead of competitors like Baidu’s Ernie Bot, now rebranded as Wenxiaoyan, and Moonshot AI’s Kimi, which had 12 million and 7 million MAUs, respectively.
Other tech giants are also experimenting with GenAI gadgets, betting that these advancements will reinvigorate the wearables market. Meta Platforms (owner of Facebook) and Snap have been exploring smart glasses, while start-ups like Rabbit and Humane are working on more experimental AI-powered devices. ByteDance’s move into the earbud space positions it to compete directly in this emerging AI wearables sector.

A Strategic Shift to Hardware
ByteDance’s expansion into hardware is not entirely new. The company ventured into this area as early as 2019 when it acquired local smartphone brand Smartisan. In 2020, ByteDance’s educational technology department launched a smart lamp with voice-call features for parents and children. In 2021, the company acquired Chinese virtual reality (VR) start-up Pico and launched the Pico 4 Ultra VR headset in Europe and parts of Asia last month. This diverse portfolio of hardware products indicates that ByteDance is committed to being a major player in the tech hardware space.

A Future Shaped by AI-Powered Devices
The launch of Ola Friend represents a fusion of ByteDance’s strengths in AI and hardware, potentially paving the way for a new era of interactive wearables. As AI technology continues to evolve, the company’s innovative earbuds are poised to offer consumers not just convenience but a more immersive and responsive digital experience. With a strong AI backbone and a growing portfolio of hardware products, ByteDance is positioning itself as a formidable force in the global tech landscape, competing with giants in both AI software and wearables.
As Ola Friend hits the market, its success could mark a turning point for ByteDance, one that cements its role in shaping the future of AI-powered consumer devices.