Orion Labs alternately refers to the Onyx as a “smart walkie-talkie” and a “real-life Star Trek communicator.” Really, the device is a wearable push-to-talk device with a microphone and speaker built in that saves users the trouble of moving their phone up to their head or jamming a pair of headphones in their ears.
The walkie-talkie bit is a reference to the fact that users essentially use the device to record voice memos, which are transmitted to other Onyx users they’ve already connected to via the iOS/Android app. After a couple of years of hype, the Motorola Solutions-backed product is finally on sale in the States as of this week, priced at $200 for a two-pack (or $130 for one), and just in for its availability, the company is getting, arguably, its most compelling functionality yet, by way of Amazon Alexa.
When the update is pushed out next month, the circular speaker with be getting the virtual assistant. The integration brings the standard array of Alexa skills, like food and car service ordering, weather and news updates and smart home appliance control.
The functionality will arrive on the Onyx by way of a software roll out in October, at which point existing users will be able to upgrade their devices.