Yandex Launches Russia’s First AI Earbuds With a Built-In Assistant

Users can ask the AI questions, play music, or sketch out plans and capture ideas on the move using Alice AI’s new My Memory feature. The virtual assistant then converts those voice inputs into structured notes and reminders. Yandex Drops are the first Russian-made earbuds to include a built-in AI agent.

Notably, Yandex Drops owners can access My Memory not only through the earbuds but also through Alice AI chat and Yandex TV Stations. During the first week of sales, the device is available directly through the AI chat interface, after which it will be sold through retail channels. The earbuds are priced at 8,990 rubles (about $115).

Conversations With AI Become Continuous

Yandex Drops use Yandex’s most advanced language model, the same one that powers Alice AI chat. The assistant is designed to provide shorter responses than the chat version, making answers easier to understand when listening rather than reading.

That capability is particularly useful while on the move. Standing in a supermarket aisle, for example, a user can ask Alice AI what E440 means on a yogurt label. A conversation started through the earbuds can later be continued in chat, where it will be stored in the Drops Earbuds section.

One of the product’s most significant advantages is early access to My Memory, which functions as an external memory layer. Users can dictate to Alice AI a list of tasks, reminders, agreements, or questions for a doctor while commuting, shopping, or exercising. The AI then organizes the information into structured notes and to-do lists that can be revisited at any time. For example, it can remind a user when a vehicle insurance policy is about to expire and needs renewal. Alice AI can deliver that reminder through the earbuds, a smartphone notification, or a TV Station.

Users no longer need to remember where information was saved or search through multiple apps and messaging platforms. Importantly, notes and reminders can be edited either manually or by voice. A parent, for example, can ask, “Alice, when do I need to bring the craft project to kindergarten?” and receive a timely reminder to complete the assignment with their child.

No Need to Give Up Your Favorite Music

Beyond AI conversations, Yandex Drops function as full-featured wireless earbuds with high-quality audio, noise cancellation, and voice control for calls, music, and smart-home devices. Users can ask the assistant to start a playlist, activate a robot vacuum, call a friend, or contact a local clinic. The assistant can locate the number in the user’s contacts and, if necessary, find it online.

The earbuds also support quick commands such as “Quieter,” “Stop,” “Continue,” and “Decline,” along with other voice shortcuts. They remain usable even when internet access is unavailable because an onboard NPU processor handles those functions directly on the device. The system is designed to recognize the owner’s voice even in crowded and noisy environments.

Audio quality is supported by an 11 mm driver. Users who prefer a customized listening experience can adjust settings through an equalizer. The earbuds offer three noise-cancellation modes: standard, adaptive, and transparency mode. Noise suppression is available not only for audio playback but also for microphones during calls. The device is protected against dust and moisture and can be used during workouts. With both noise cancellation and AI access enabled, battery life reaches up to five hours. Disabling those features extends runtime to as much as eight hours.

A New Level of Convenience

Yandex’s new technology product provides Russian users with convenient access to AI services. Through a single wearable device, they can interact with a neural network, set reminders, listen to music, manage calls, and control smart-home devices. The product is likely to appeal most strongly to consumers already invested in the Yandex ecosystem who want continuous access to a voice assistant.

For Russia’s technology sector, the launch is a notable example of how companies are moving beyond standalone AI services and into dedicated consumer AI hardware. The value of these devices increasingly lies in the combination of ecosystem services, language models, and user data. The release of Yandex Drops marks an important step for Russia’s consumer technology, AI assistant, and wearable-device markets. More broadly, it reflects a global trend toward moving generative AI out of smartphones and laptops and into devices people carry and wear throughout the day.

Just a few years ago, many companies were testing generative AI through pilot projects to see how models answered questions, generated text, or assisted with routine tasks. Today, the focus has shifted noticeably. Customers are interested not in the existence of a model itself but in which business processes it can accelerate, how securely it handles data, and whether it can scale across enterprise infrastructure. Russia has already built a foundation for that transition. Major Russian technology companies have introduced a new generation of models. Yandex continues to develop the YandexGPT family for business applications, while Sber has launched GigaChat 2.0 with improvements in quality, context handling, and multimodal capabilities. That means Russia now has not only access to the technology but also its own models, platforms, and infrastructure approaches for deploying AI at industrial scale

Vladimir Nelyub

Doctor of Technical Sciences, Director for Science and AI, Member of the Management Board of Astra Group PJSC, Managing Partner at ASTRA AI