Amazon's Bee debuts Frontier and Eclipse AI devices with Pro subscription

The Bee Frontier is an updated version of Bee's original $50 always-listening wearable and a successor to the Pioneer, Engadget reported. It can be worn on the wrist with a Fitbit-like band or clipped to clothing as a pin. Amazon said the Frontier has dual microphones with upgraded noise filtering, an IP67 dust and water resistance rating, a recording button, an LED indicator and up to seven days of battery life on a charge, with USB-C charging. It is available starting Thursday on Amazon. Engadget reported that the Pioneer is no longer available to purchase.

The Bee Eclipse is a credit-card-shaped device that attaches magnetically to the back of a smartphone. It is larger than the Frontier and has three onboard microphones, a button and an LED indicator, Engadget reported. Its larger body allows for a battery that Amazon says lasts more than 21 days. Amazon says the Eclipse will be available soon. TechCrunch reported the Frontier comes in Onyx, Lavender and Sage, while the Eclipse comes in Silver, Midnight, Honey and Blush. The Verge reported the Frontier colors as black, green and lavender and the Eclipse colors as black, pink, yellow and silver.

Both devices are designed to listen to daily conversations and provide summaries, transcripts, insights and to-dos. They can integrate with services including Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple HealthKit and photos, allowing Bee's AI to draft emails, send calendar invites and surface action items. The free tier includes conversation summaries, recaps and 14 days of memory. The Bee Pro subscription, which CNBC rounded to $12 a month, adds unlimited summaries, suggested to-dos, daily memories, a personal chat assistant, conversation templates, third-party app integrations and a desktop app, according to Amazon.

A major feature of Bee Pro is compatibility with Amazon and Alexa+. The Amazon integration is opt-in and can surface shopping suggestions based on conversations. The Verge gave the example of a spouse asking the user to buy cat litter, which could produce a product card on the Amazon homepage or an Amazon button in the Bee mobile app. The Alexa+ integration is meant to provide hands-free access to Bee summaries and insights. TechCrunch reported that users can optionally connect Bee to Alexa so an Echo device can use its Voice ID feature to recognize when the user is speaking and record conversations for Bee's insights.

Amazon says Bee devices use a Private Compute security architecture that encrypts transcripts, summaries and to-dos. Raw audio is not stored; it is processed in real time and then deleted, and transcripts are encrypted with keys the device creates and controls, so no one else, including Amazon employees, can access them unless the user intentionally shares them. Users can delete transcripts and summaries at any time. An LED light indicates when a Bee device is recording, and Bee devices can be programmed to stop recording automatically if no sound is detected after a set period. Voice attribution depends on training: Bee's AI is trained on the individual user's voice, and other speakers are not automatically identified unless they also allow Bee's AI to train on their voice. Engadget noted that the Eclipse's shape, size and magnetic attachment resemble a portable battery charger, so nearby people might mistake its indicator light for a charging signal.

Amazon is releasing the Bee products as technology companies prepare new AI hardware for the holiday season. CNBC reported that Amazon discontinued its budget Fire tablet family in favor of three new AI-infused Alexa Tablets, while Microsoft showed an Nvidia-powered Windows laptop and Apple unveiled its HomeView smart home hub with Siri AI. Bee's devices compete with AI note-taking products such as Plaud Note, Pocket and Limitless AI, as well as AI wearables including Meta's smart glasses and its Muse Charm pendant, Plaud's card-shaped recorder and Friend's AI necklace. Meta's smart glasses have drawn privacy and civil rights concerns from users, advocacy groups and lawmakers, CNBC reported.

Amazon acquired Bee in July 2025 for an undisclosed amount, according to CNBC. The original Bee device cost $50 and summarized every conversation. The new Frontier and Eclipse keep Bee's always-listening approach: when turned on, the devices record continuously, which Amazon says enables conversation summaries and the ability to review memories from past days to remember what was discussed. The devices can also track recurring trends or themes to suggest personalized goals or actions.