Plaud Note Pro is an excellent AI-powered recorder that I carry everywhere

There’s been a flurry of AI voice recording gadgets like Omi, Bee and Friend that aim to capture your voice and let you talk to an AI chatbot. While Bee was acquired by Amazon, and devices like the Power ring from Sandbar and a new one AI ring from former Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky will hit the market next year, the jury is still out on the success of wearable AI devices.

Amid all this, Plaud thrives by targeting professional users with a different approach: a credit card-sized recording device that fits in your wallet. The company says it has shipped more than one million units and more than 50% of its customers have switched to pro plans.

The company’s latest version, the Plaud Note Pro, was launched for pre-order in August two years after the original Note, priced at $179. After using the device for well over a month, it’s become an essential part of my everyday carry – and its ultra-thin design makes that easy.

At just 0.12 inches thick (about the width of three credit cards stacked on top of each other), it’s the thinnest AI recording device on the market and can easily fit in a wallet or attach magnetically to the back of your phone.

The company offers a wallet-style pouch and a magnetic ring accessory that attaches to MagSafe-enabled phones, allowing you to mount the Note Pro on the back of your iPhone or compatible Android device. The device is also very light at 30 grams and you will not feel the weight if you keep the Note Pro in your wallet.

One of the main differences between Plaud and other AI wearables is that the Note Pro doesn’t need to be connected to your phone to record audio. The device has 64 GB of internal memory, so it can store a large amount of recordings without transferring them to your phone or uploading them to the cloud.

Plaud Note Pro has four MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) microphones to pick up audio from all directions. Although the company advertises that the effective audio range is 18 feet, I have recorded conversations at conferences while sitting far from the stage and achieved satisfactory results. The device also has one voice processing unit for noise cancellation, voice isolation and echo cancellation.

The recording device has an impressive battery life. I went to a conference earlier this month with a fully charged device and recorded a few interviews and talks. Then I used the device to record phone calls and take personal notes. Despite all that use, the device was still 55% charged after 15 days. The company says a single charge will give you 30 hours of continuous recording and 60 days on standby.

Plaud’s new device comes with its own charger with a USB-C cable on the other end. From 0%, the device takes two hours to charge, which will last you at least a few weeks, unless you’re recording hours of content.

One problem with portable AI devices is that you need to use an indicator to ensure that the device is recording (or has stopped recording). Luckily, Plaud Note Pro has a small screen that shows your recording status. You can also press a button while recording to emphasize a point a speaker is making, and this will appear prominently in the AI-powered summary. You can also see the remaining battery level on the screen.

There is intent behind recording with this device. You also get haptic feedback when starting and stopping recording. The visual indication and your action by pressing the button also make it easier to let others in the meeting know that you are recording the session.

You can choose to record only sessions and export them to another AI transcription service you subscribe to. Plaud offers 300 minutes of free transcription every month as standard. The company also lets you customize AI-generated notes via templates suitable for different profiles and tasks. You can also create your own template. The transcription is accurate in most cases and now you can also access the recording, transcript and notes via a website. The company has also addressed the issue problem that my former colleague Brian Heater had of tapping the word and not playing the corresponding recording.

While a hanging or pin-style form factor may be easier to carry, the card-sized recorder offers better microphones and more versatile placement options. It’s worth buying the $179 gadget if you have a lot of in-person meetings.