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Aina opens preorders for $399 ring to approve AI agent tasks

Startup Aina, founded by former Ultrahuman hardware VP Apoorv Shankar, opened preorders Thursday for a titanium smart ring meant to accept or reject AI-agent actions without taking out a phone, Wired and TechCrunch reported.

By AI reporterDex Okafor · WhatsNewPaper Desk
What's new
  1. New headline Was: “This Smart Ring Wants to Be a Remote Control for Your AI Agent”
  2. Our desk filed its story
  3. New headline Was: “Aina launches a $399 smart ring aimed at approving AI agent tasks”
  4. Techmeme is now reporting this
  5. New headline Was: “Aina launches $399 smart ring to control AI agents”
5 earlier updates
  1. Our desk updated its story
  2. New headline Was: “Aina’s smart ring has a screen, a joystick and a mic so you can talk to AI agents”
  3. Our desk filed its story
  4. TechCrunch is now reporting this
  5. New headline Was: “Exclusive: Aina’s Smart Ring Wants to Be a Remote Control for Your AI Agent”

Hardware startup Aina on Thursday opened preorders for a titanium smart ring it says is meant to let people accept or reject actions from AI agents without taking out a phone1,2.

The company, which Wired said had been in stealth for about 15 months after showing experimental gear at CES 2026 as Project Mirage, priced early-bird orders at $399, with a planned $499 price after that period and shipping aimed at January 20271,2.

Founder Apoorv Shankar, previously vice president of hardware at fitness-ring maker Ultrahuman, told Wired that frequent agent prompts would become a bottleneck if each yes or no required unlocking a phone1.

"Approvals are going to be the future of interfaces and interaction," Shankar said, according to Wired1.

Wired reported that the ring uses a small display and a joystick-like control so a wearer can approve or decline an agent's proposed task, and that an onboard assistant looks for a few next actions based on location, calendar, email and connected services such as Uber or Spotify1.

TechCrunch reported that Aina raised $5.5 million in July and is positioning the ring as a controller for both AI and conventional apps, with a microphone for notes, prompts, reminders and Mac dictation, plus a speaker for calls2,3.

Both outlets said the device can act as a context-aware remote on a Mac, for example offering meeting controls during a video call, and can steer music or, in some setups, a television such as Apple TV1,2.

Wired said users can create custom prompts in natural language and can connect other AI agents when an app is not supported natively, with the display intended to confirm that an action completed1.

TechCrunch's Ivan Mehta wrote that he used a unit for several days, received notifications, saw meetings and could request an Uber, while noting that software was still being built out2.

Shankar told TechCrunch that phones and laptops were designed for browsing apps and that Aina was built for interacting with proactive agents2.

Wired noted that other AI gadgets, including Humane's pin and Rabbit's handheld, have not replaced phones, and that Shankar is not pitching the ring as a phone replacement1.

Whether enough people will run multiple agents to justify a dedicated ring remains untested in the market, and shipping is months away1,2.

Sources

  1. WiredThis Smart Ring Wants to Be a Remote Control for Your AI Agent
  2. TechCrunchAina’s smart ring has a screen, a joystick and a mic so you can talk to AI agents
  3. TechmemeAina, which raised $5.5M, launches an "AI ring" with a screen, joystick, and mic to let users talk to their AI agents, take notes, control Apple TV, and more (Ivan Mehta/TechCrunch)

Read the original at Wired ↗

How it’s being reported

3 sources

First reported by WiredWired

WiredWiredFirst

This Smart Ring Wants to Be a Remote Control for Your AI Agent

Approvals as the next interface, Shankar's Ultrahuman background, and how Aina Cues use calendar, location and connected apps.

Wired's exclusive describes Aina's titanium ring as a tap-to-approve controller for proactive AI agents, with preorders at $399 and shipping in January 2027.

Leaves out The July $5.5 million raise and hands-on testing of the ring.

Read the original

Where they agree

  • Aina announced a smart ring with a screen and joystick-style control and opened $399 preorders with January 2027 shipping.
  • Apoorv Shankar is the founder and previously worked in hardware at Ultrahuman.
  • The pitch is controlling AI agents and some apps without constantly using a phone.

Where they differ

Product name and precursor device

Side by side

Each outlet's article broken down by our newsroom, in our own words. To read what they wrote, use the button under each one.

WiredWired

This Smart Ring Wants to Be a Remote Control for Your AI Agent

Approvals as the next interface, Shankar's Ultrahuman background, and how Aina Cues use calendar, location and connected apps.

Wired's exclusive describes Aina's titanium ring as a tap-to-approve controller for proactive AI agents, with preorders at $399 and shipping in January 2027.

Leaves out The July $5.5 million raise and hands-on testing of the ring.

Approvals as the next interface, Shankar's Ultrahuman background, and how Aina Cues use calendar, location and connected apps.

What it reports

  • Aina announced the ring after 15 months in stealth and a CES 2026 showing as Project Mirage's Dune controller.
  • Preorders are $399 for a limited time, then $499, with shipping planned for January 2027.
  • The titanium ring connects to Macs and iPhones and uses a small display plus a joystick-like button to accept or reject agent actions.
  • Shankar previously was vice president of hardware at Ultrahuman.
  • Users can attach third-party agents if a service is not natively supported.

Leaves out The July $5.5 million raise and hands-on testing of the ring.

Read the original at Wired Read the full article at Wired
TechCrunchTechCrunch

Aina’s smart ring has a screen, a joystick and a mic so you can talk to AI agents

Hardware features, fundraising, dictation, calls, Apple TV control, and early software still being built.

TechCrunch reports Aina's $399 ring includes a screen, joystick, microphone and speaker, notes a $5.5 million raise in July, and includes a short hands-on.

Leaves out The $499 later retail price in as much detail as Wired, and the Ultrahuman patent history.

Hardware features, fundraising, dictation, calls, Apple TV control, and early software still being built.

What it reports

  • Aina raised $5.5 million in July and positions the ring as a controller for AI and non-AI apps.
  • A microphone supports notes, agent prompts, reminders and Mac dictation via Wispr Flow or Aina's engine.
  • A speaker allows phone calls; a screen shows notifications and which apps are being controlled.
  • The ring can control music and devices such as Apple TV and supports gestures.
  • Ivan Mehta used a unit for a few days and said software and features were still being fleshed out.

Leaves out The $499 later retail price in as much detail as Wired, and the Ultrahuman patent history.

Read the original at TechCrunch Read the full article at TechCrunch
TechmemeTechmeme

Aina, which raised $5.5M, launches an "AI ring" with a screen, joystick, and mic to let users talk to their AI agents, take notes, control Apple TV, and more (Ivan Mehta/TechCrunch)

The TechCrunch summary of fundraising and feature list.

Techmeme aggregates Ivan Mehta's TechCrunch report on Aina's ring, the $5.5 million raise, and listed features.

Leaves out Independent reporting beyond the TechCrunch item.

The TechCrunch summary of fundraising and feature list.

What it reports

  • Techmeme points readers to TechCrunch's account of the launch and $5.5 million raise.

Leaves out Independent reporting beyond the TechCrunch item.

Read the original at Techmeme Read the full article at Techmeme