On August 25, Sharp announced that its Poketomo AI companion device will get a second model, planned for release in Japan in December 2026 with Taiwan also under consideration. The update centers on a different personality and device interaction rather than a simple exterior change.
What is different about the second Poketomo?
The new character is a meerkat that speaks in an assertive ore-sama style. Sharp is using a more distinct personality to create a different relationship between the companion device and its user. This describes the character experience, not a complete disclosure of conversation features or launch specifications.
When two devices are registered in the same Poketomo app, the two Poketomo units can talk to each other. That extends the product from one-device companionship to multi-device interaction, although the final feature set will depend on the released version.
What do we know about timing and price?
Sharp's current schedule points to a December 2026 launch, with Taiwan also included in its plans. This is still a preview, not an announcement that sales are open; the final date, channels and Taiwan-specific details may change.
Sharp lists the hardware as open price and the app service at 495 yen per month. Japanese media reported that COCORO Store listed a tax-included price of 49,500 yen, but the final price and sales terms should be checked against Sharp's official sales page.
How does the AI work?
Sharp says Poketomo combines cloud and on-device AI and uses generative AI for conversation. Media reports have mentioned CE-LLM and GPT-4o mini, but the actual division of work, model versions and service limits will depend on the final software and service specifications.
The product is not designed for users to operate a model directly. It packages model capabilities into an accessible, long-running conversation experience. Whether it can deliver engaging and stable interaction over time will matter more to users than a single benchmark score.
What it means for the AI product market
The second Poketomo model shows that AI companion products compete on more than model capability. Character design, device interaction, subscriptions and household use cases also matter. Sharp has announced a direction and schedule; before sales begin, users will still need to watch the final price, language support, Taiwan launch terms and long-term service model.
