“Lovely 2.0 is the result of two years of development.”
At first glance, not much has changed: Lovely 2.0 is still a cock ring with app connectivity. The real changes have happened on the inside. There is now a better motor, a remote, and the app – the centrepiece of the product – has been overhauled from the ground up. In our EAN interview with, Jakub Konik, the founder and CEO of Lovely tells us more about the smart cock ring and we take a look the current state of affairs in the sex tech segment.
Lovely Inc. will release its second product – called Lovely 2.0 – this October. Before we go into more detail, could you tell us a bit about the core features of the product?
Jakub Konik: Lovely 2.0 is the result of 2 years of development and improvements based on customer and industry feedback to the first Lovely. It looks the same from the outside, but on the inside, everything’s changed.
Lovely 2.0 sports a Desire-Sensing™ technology, which personalises Lovely Inspirations given to the couple via the Lovely app based on their sexual desires, needs, and data from Lovely sensors. Desire-Sensing™ is so good that we put it through a scientific study on 36 people (18 couples) and found out that it improved sexual satisfaction for 75% of them!
Lovely 2.0 also has a much stronger, rumbly motor, worldwide remote control and thanks to lower manufacturing costs we offer a new, reduced RRP of $139/129 EUR (instead of $169/159 EUR).
We have also completely redesigned our app, which provides couples with highly personalised suggestions for new positions, stimulation techniques and encourages them to communicate openly about their sexual desires and needs.
Now it takes only 2 steps to get a tip, as compared to 7 steps in the previous version of the app. Furthermore, we have created a sexual development path for all Lovely users. It means that apart from Lovely Inspirations you can get one ‘Daily Tip’ from four categories – Mindful, Sensual, Passionate and Kinky – and you chose which category you’re the most interested in.
These tips include suggestions of new things the couple might try in order to discover new and exciting aspects in their sex life as well as short communication exercises designed to bring them closer when they’re apart and make them feel comfortable to discuss their sexual needs and desires.
We are also doing away with showing users sex-related data because we realised it’s not what they need in order to fulfil their desires and discover new things in their sex life. In the first iteration of our app, we were showing a lot of data, such as force, speed, overall calories burned, etc., but now we stopped bombarding users with it and use this data in our backend to create highly personalised Lovely Inspirations and Daily Tips.
It’s a very important step because when you think about it knowing how fast or how hard you moved during sex doesn’t give you a lot of value… but when this data is used in order to provide you with better sexual inspirations and tips, it elevates the entire experience for our users.
Which new aspect of Lovely 2.0 are you especially proud of and why?
The Desire-Sensing™ technology, and the new rumbly motor. 75% of the people in our study reported increased sexual satisfaction, and 44% reported better quality of their orgasms, a stronger focus during sexual activity as well as an increased variety of sexual activities. I think the results speak for themselves and challenges every other sex toy company to show better results.
We are also very proud of our new motor in Lovely 2.0 – it is rumbly but silent and works very well during remote control – it’s very responsive and has virtually no delay – you can be in New York and your partner in Australia, but it feels like you’re in the same room.
Did the exterior design of the ring change or are all the new features on the inside/digital?
The exterior is nearly the same, but we improved the patch through which we place the electronics inside; it’s now comparatively much stronger because we realised that some customers tried to tear it apart. Also, we updated the packaging – it has 10 languages on it and in the manual, which should help retailers in those markets.
The app at the core of your product has also received a major update for Lovely 2.0. What did you change?
The app was revamped from the ground up. It’s faster and easier to use, we’ve added worldwide remote control, German, Japanese and Spanish languages as well as a sexual development path that’s controlled by the user.
It means that you not only receive tips after using Lovely 2.0 but now you can use the Lovely app to get a ‘Daily Tip,’ which will be automatically shared with your partner.
Some of these Daily Tips include communication exercises. For example, the app can ask what sexual features do you appreciate in your partner. Once you reply, the answer will be shared with your partner and they will have an opportunity to reply, and that helps couples open up and learn more about each other’s sexual desires and needs. Because sexual communication is one of the most important features of a healthy sex life, our communication exercises enable couples to appreciate and enjoy each other even more.
Could you give us an example of the suggestions the user may receive from your app?
Sure! Apart from the suggestions of new positions and stimulation techniques we are proud of the communication exercises where the app asks you, for example, what did you enjoy during your last sex? Once you reply, your answer will be shared with your partner who can then reply back. Communication exercises like these encourage couples to be more open about their sexual pleasure as well as discover and discuss their needs that would otherwise stay unfulfilled.
Also, the sexual development path in our app is very important – it enables you to get Daily Tips depending on what your desires are – Mindful, Sensual, Passionate or Kinky. Couples see their progress as they discover new things which incentivise them to learn more about their sexuality.
Another new feature will be a remote control. Was this something your customers wanted? Which added value does it provide?
Yes, it’s something we’ve been asked for, by hundreds of customers as well as retailers and distributors. It helps couples to stay more connected when they’re apart and is something we always wanted to have but had to wait for the “teledildonics” patent to run out.
What were the biggest challenges you had to overcome to make Lovely 2.0?
The biggest hurdle was to put the new motor in without changing everything on the inside. It actually took us more time to do it than it did to develop the Lovely from the ground up… but it was well worth it!
When will Lovely 2.0 be released and how much will it cost? Are you working with distributors to get the product out there?
We are premiering the Lovely 2.0 during eroFame (3rd-5th of October) in Europe and during the Sex Expo in New York (22nd-23rd of September). It’s available for B2B orders immediately and will be available online late October. Interested retailers and distributors can reach out to jk@ourlovely.com for samples and pricing.
Looking at the erotic market as a whole, which role would do sex tech products like Lovely play?
Sex tech products show that there’s much more to a sex toy than just vibrations. If you approach sexual satisfaction from a more comprehensive standpoint you realise that technology can indeed improve sexual satisfaction, but it has to be carefully developed and tested in order to not destroy the intimate experience that sex is, but amplify it.
One of the biggest criticisms regarding sex tech products is that those products are often gimmicky, without much added value for the consumer. How do you feel about this criticism and how does Lovely’s opinion?
I feel that adding technology to a product just for the sake of it is pointless and detrimental. At Lovely Inc., we are using the technology to give our customers more than good vibrations. Thanks to our Desire-Sensing™ technology, you get suggestions for new positions, stimulation techniques, communication exercises, and a sexual development path.
Based on our study, we know for a fact that it works and improves sexual satisfaction in 75% of cases which speaks for itself. Anyone who wants to review the full study and about the effectiveness of Lovely 2.0 can reach out to me and I’ll send a full analysis.
Is there a feature you would have loved to have in Lovely 2.0 but had to postpone to version 3.0?
Yes – we wanted to automatically detect the positions in which couples engage during sex in order to provide them with even better suggestions of new positions, but at this point, it’s too complicated from the technology perspective. But we’ll get there someday!