Today, June 9, sales of Yandex Drops began — the company’s first wearable AI device with Alice AI. These are ordinary-looking TWS earbuds, but with them you can talk to a neural network on the go: ask questions, dictate notes, control music and calls without holding your phone. Interestingly, Apple only recently presented smart Siri in iOS 27 as a beta, while Yandex is already releasing a finished product.
The earbuds turned out stylish
Yandex Drops: What the First Earbuds with Alice AI Can Do
Drops are an attempt to pull Alice out of speakers and smartphones right into your ears. In terms of form factor, the earbuds bear a suspicious resemblance to AirPods Pro: in-ear “drops” with a short stem, matte plastic, and a charging case. Three colors are available — white, black, and purple.
This is how the earbuds looked in renders
The main idea is simple: access to a neural network without a screen. You’re walking down the street, driving a car, or doing the dishes — and at any moment you can talk to Alice by voice. The earbuds run the same language model as the Alice AI chat, but responses are made shorter so they’re easier to process by ear. A conversation started in the earbuds can be continued in the smartphone app. And vice versa.
And in reality they look like this
The basic scenario is voice control. You can ask to play a specific artist or song, add a track to favorites, or ask what’s currently playing. More interesting are the quick commands — short phrases like “Louder,” “Quieter,” “Turn on noise cancellation,” which are processed directly on the device. They don’t need the internet or addressing Alice by name. And they work not only in Yandex Music but also in third-party players and streaming services. Calls are also voice-controlled: say “Alice, call Vanya” — and she’ll find the contact and dial the number. Smart home control is also included: turn off the lights when you’ve already run out of the apartment, or turn on the air conditioning on your way home.
My Memory Feature in Yandex Drops: How Voice Notes Work
Now this is the standout feature that the device was built around. The “My Memory” feature turns Drops into a personal voice notebook.
It works in three steps. First, you dictate something: “Alice, remember that Igor’s intercom code is 4782” or “Alice, note down to watch a movie.” Then at the right moment you simply ask: “Alice, what’s Igor’s intercom code?” The neural network retrieves the record.
There’s a neat Yandex logo on the back of the case
Memory can handle notes, reminders, and lists. Notes capture thoughts, facts, and observations. Reminders work with exact dates and times — and arrive as notifications on your smartphone or are voiced aloud if the earbuds are in your ears. Lists are handy for shopping: ask for a honey cake recipe, and Alice will dictate the ingredients, then cross off purchased items at your command.
There is a catch, though. All notes and reminders are written only to the system apps and calendar on the smartphone. Connecting your Google Calendar or Obsidian isn’t possible yet. Agent-like functions with third-party services — something ChatGPT and Claude already offer — are also missing. Hopefully, these will be added through updates.
Yandex Drops Specs: Sound, Noise Cancellation, and Battery
If you set the AI aside, Drops are solid modern TWS earbuds. Sound is handled by 11mm drivers with a 20–20,000 Hz range. There’s an equalizer with manual mode and ready-made presets for different genres.
The specs are just decent, nothing more
Each earbud has its own processor and three microphones: two external and one internal. Plus a dedicated NPU for the local model — it’s what recognizes calls to Alice in noisy environments and without internet. Noise cancellation works in three modes: standard, adaptive, and transparency. IP54 protection means rain and workouts won’t harm the earbuds. Connectivity is via Bluetooth 5.4 with a range of up to 10 meters.
Battery life depends on how you use the earbuds. With noise cancellation, quick commands, and voice activation of Alice, Drops will last up to 5 hours on a single charge and up to 20 hours with the case. If you turn off noise cancellation and just listen to music — up to 8 and 30 hours respectively.
Yandex Drops Price in Russia and Where to Buy the Alice Earbuds
The price of the earbuds is 8,990 rubles. The package includes the Drops themselves, a charging cable, and a set of ear tips in different sizes.
You can buy them for 9 thousand rubles and only after chatting with Alice
As for the purchasing method, Yandex played a clever trick. From June 9 to 15, Drops can only be purchased one way — through a chat with Alice AI. You write “buy earbuds with Alice,” choose the color right in the dialogue, and proceed to payment. Starting June 16, the earbuds will be available at retailers and electronics stores.
