Startup Relay builds dedicated mic for voice-to-text

Relay's approach targets a specific pain point: using voice-to-text in shared workspaces without disturbing others or being misunderstood. The founders, who previously worked at Nothing, found that software-only tools like Wispr Flow often failed to capture quiet speech, making dedicated hardware necessary. The Relay Q is designed to be held close to the mouth, allowing whisper-quiet input, which could make voice-to-text more viable in offices.

Relay is entering a market that already includes ring-based devices like Sandbar's Stream Ring and Pebble's Index 01, but it differentiates by offering a microphone with a button and a charging dock, as well as a MagSafe grip for phone use. The software, which runs on Google's Gemini models, also includes Skills for automating actions like sending Slack messages or creating calendar events. However, this requires granting access to screen snapshots, raising privacy considerations that users should weigh.

The pricing—$150 for the hardware plus a subscription after the first year—positions Relay as a premium tool for professionals who value efficiency. As the software is still beta, accuracy issues remain, but the dedicated hardware may address some of these, as the company suggests. With a planned expansion to other platforms and mobile support, Relay is betting that the convenience of hands-free dictation will justify the investment for many users.