Amazon Unveils Two New Bee AI Wearables, Launches $12 Monthly Subscription Amid Privacy Concerns

Amazon (AMZN) on Thursday, October 15 unveiled two new Bee devices, its first new Bee hardware since buying the AI wearable startup in July 2025. The Bee Frontier, worn on the wrist or clipped to clothing, is on sale now for $74.99, up from $50 for its predecessor. The credit-card-sized, magnetic Bee Eclipse starts at $99.99 and is listed as coming soon.

The recurring revenue piece is Bee Pro, which costs $11.99 per month (Bloomberg's headline rounds it to $12). Basic summaries, recaps and 14-day memory stay free, while Pro adds unlimited summaries, daily memories and integrations with Amazon.com, Alexa+ and third-party apps, and Amazon says new customers get 30 days of Pro free.

Privacy is the main criticism. Bee devices are always recording when switched on, and coverage has pointed to Amazon's history with Alexa, including a class-action suit over its listening practices that Amazon denies. Amazon says no audio is stored, transcripts are encrypted with keys held on the device, an LED shows when the device is on, and users can delete their data at any time.

The stock reaction was small. AMZN traded at $253.45, down about 0.25%, around midday on October 15, but closed at $254.76, up 0.27% from $254.08. The larger 1.74% drop came the day before the launch, so a launch-driven selloff is not supported.

Next to watch: when the Eclipse ships, how many trial users convert to paid Pro (one analysis calls the subscription the real test), and any regulatory or consumer response to always-recording devices.