A prototype of Yandex’s AirPods rival was accidentally found on the floor of the Teatralnaya metro station in Moscow. A photo of the device appeared on the social network X, apparently because one of the testers lost a unit. Yandex confirmed that the earbuds are undergoing final testing and promised to announce the sales date and price soon.
The Yandex Drops earbuds were simply lost. Just like the iPhone 4
What the Yandex Drops Earbuds Look Like — First Photos
This is what Yandex’s upcoming earbuds look like. Photo: Habr
Until now, Yandex Drops had only been shown in official renders and at a presentation in December 2025. Now the first “live” photo has appeared online — though not from a press event, but from the floor of a metro car. The author of the post on X notes that she found the device at the Teatralnaya station in central Moscow.
Yandex’s press service stated that the photo shows one of the early prototypes. This means the final version may differ in design and build quality. The company has not yet revealed detailed specifications — neither for sound, battery life, nor the type of noise cancellation.
What Is “My Memory” in Alice and How It Works in the Earbuds
The main feature of Drops is not just music, but constant voice access to Alice with neural network capabilities. According to Yandex’s vision, the earbuds will allow users to ask questions to the AI assistant on the go and receive detailed answers without taking out their phone.
The “My Memory” function is particularly interesting. The concept is simple: you ask Alice by voice to remember something — a meeting, an idea, a shopping list, a random thought. All of this is saved in the Alice AI chat as structured notes and reminders. Essentially, the earbuds turn into a voice notebook that organizes information on its own.
Yandex Drops earbuds are designed as constant voice access to Alice
How well this works in practice is still unknown. The quality of speech recognition on the street, in the metro, or in a noisy café may differ significantly from ideal testing conditions. But the idea itself — capturing thoughts by voice without unlocking your phone — looks practical, if the implementation delivers.
When Will Yandex Drops Come Out and How Much Will They Cost
There is no exact release date or price for Yandex Drops yet. The only thing the company’s press service has communicated is that the device is in the final testing stage, and they promise to announce the sales launch date “in the near future.”
The earbuds were announced back in December 2025, and since then no specifics about timing or pricing have emerged. Neither pre-orders nor an estimated price are currently available. Those waiting for Drops will have to keep an eye on Yandex’s official channels.
How Yandex Drops Differ from AirPods with Alice
The key feature of Drops is My Memory and Alice AI
Alice has long been available on AirPods and other Bluetooth earbuds — through the Yandex app on iPhone. You can summon the voice assistant, ask a question, or request to play music. So why separate earbuds from Yandex?
The difference is in the depth of integration. On AirPods, Alice works through an intermediary app and depends on iOS limitations. Drops are designed as a device where Alice AI is not an add-on but the primary interface. The “My Memory” function, instant access to neural network-powered answers without unlocking your phone, and possible speech recognition optimization for specific hardware — all of this should theoretically work more seamlessly than through a third-party app on iPhone.
Another question is the ecosystem. Apple device owners are accustomed to the seamless pairing of AirPods with iPhone, iPad, and Mac: auto-switching between devices, spatial audio, and integration with Find My. Drops won’t have any of that — they live in Yandex’s ecosystem. For those deeply embedded in the Apple world, this is more of an additional gadget for a specific purpose rather than a replacement for primary earbuds.
For now, Yandex Drops is a device with an interesting concept but without confirmed specifications, price, or release date. If you need earbuds right now, there’s no point in waiting. But if you’re specifically interested in a voice AI assistant in your ear and you actively use Alice, it’s worth waiting at least for the first reviews and the price announcement — only then will it become clear whether Drops lives up to expectations.
