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CES is full of AI companions and assistive robots this year, but Loona’s DeskMate is a clever take on the idea: It’s a desktop charging hub, with three USB-C ports, a USB-A port, and a MagSafe pad, that automatically activates a companion AI app when you plug your iPhone into the wireless charger.
What’s great about DeskMate is that by using your phone, it takes advantage of the technology you already have. It doesn’t need its own display, camera, or microphone, because the iPhone provides them (and, for now, it’s just an iPhone). By also providing charging, it may replace the charger you already have on your desk, rather than adding to the clutter.
The stand swivels and tilts, so the DeskMate keeps looking at you while you talk to it. It has eye-catching, Pixar-like eyes, but still has practical features like Slack integration and meeting assistance.
The DeskMate is expected to launch in a crowdfunding campaign in March, but my big hesitation is the price. There’s no final number yet, but the company tells me the price will be “less than $300,” which is a steep sum for a device that already runs on your phone.