To be clear, there was nothing wrong with Brownlee’s review. Humane’s AI Pin costs $700. Watering down his review to ease the blow would be a disservice to the millions of fans relying on his perspective before making such a significant purchase.

Too often, companies view potential customers as an extension of their research and development. They are happy to sell a product that is still a work in progress on the promise they’ll fix it on the fly. (“Updates are coming!”)

But in a world of instant gratification, it can be hard to appreciate that innovation takes time.

Even Apple can run into this conundrum. Take the Apple Vision Pro. Reviewers are impressed with the technology behind the much-anticipated gadget — but are still struggling to figure out what they can do with it. Maybe, over time, that will get sorted out.

It’s also worth remembering how cool tech can be, as Business Insider’s Peter Kafka wrote following a bunch of trips in Waymo’s software-powered taxis in San Francisco. Sure, robotaxis have their issues, Peter said, but they also elicit that “golly-gee-can-you-believe-it” sense.

As for Humane, America loves a comeback story. Just look at “Cyberpunk 2077.” The highly anticipated video game had a disastrous launch in 2020, but redeemed itself three years later, ultimately winning a major award.

Still, Humane shouldn’t get a pass for releasing a product that didn’t seem ready for primetime, according to the reviews.

And its issue could be bigger than glitchy tech. Humane’s broader thesis about reducing screen time might not be as applicable. As BI’s Katie Notopolous put it: “I love staring at my iPhone.”