Technology
Former Nothing employees announce Relay Q, an AI-powered microphone for dictation
The $150 device, scheduled for release in early 2027, aims to replace keyboard input with whispered voice-to-text powered by Google Gemini.
The short version
- London-based startup Relay has debuted its macOS dictation app and announced the Relay Q, a portable $150 microphone arriving in early 2027.
- The system uses Google Gemini models to handle voice-to-text dictation and execute automated tasks across applications.
- To perform app-specific tasks, the software requires extensive system permissions, including microphone and screen recording access.
Key facts
- Relay was founded in London by former Nothing employees Cookie Xu and Raymond Zhu.[Wired]
- The Relay Q is a portable, cylindrical microphone designed to pick up whispered inputs and is scheduled to launch in early 2027 for $150.[Wired]
- The hardware purchase includes one year of software access, after which the service will cost $15 per month.[Wired]
- The dictation and automation features are powered by Google's Gemini models.[Wired]
- At launch, the software is exclusive to macOS, but the company plans to expand to Windows, iOS, and Android.[Wired]
- The software can perform contextual tasks across apps like Slack and Google Calendar, which requires users to grant microphone and screen recording permissions.[Wired]
- Relay states that user data is stored locally and is not retained on Relay's servers when sent to Google for processing.[Wired]
What remains uncertain
- It remains to be seen whether the dedicated hardware will resolve accuracy and delay issues reported during tests of the beta software.[Wired]