I reviewed the Plaud NotePin - and I love this AI-powered voice recorder you can wear anywhere

Plaud NotePin: 30-second review

The cloud AI devices are impressive from the outset, and when I looked at the Plaud Note a few months ago, I was blown away by how precise the AI recording and transcription were in summarizing meeting notes, telephone conversations, and any situation with person-to-person interaction.

With the NotePin, that same technology has been integrated into a small device that can be clipped onto a lapel or slipped into a top pocket, so it's always there, ready to be activated whenever you need it.

Whereas the Plaud Note (review here) was designed to attach to the back of your mobile phone, the NotePin is simply designed to attach to your clothing, in the same way as a wireless lavalier mic.

Like the Plaud Note, it's incredibly quick and easy to use, with a simple one-tap to start recording and another to stop. Once you stop recording, the audio gets transferred directly over to the cloud app, where the AI integration kicks in, first transcribing the audio, then giving you the option to summarise it in a variety of different ways.

The benefits are obvious, especially in meetings. The NotePin is able to differentiate between different speakers, which you can assign names to within the app, then summarise exactly what has been said and by who.

But it goes far beyond a simple transcription. The recording is able to break down into meeting minutes, to-do lists, grievances raised, and action points. Through the Plaud app, there are plenty of different options to summarise what's been said, depending on your situation and profession.

While the small device is incredibly compact and lightweight, it features an internal battery that supplies plenty of use for a full day and also offers a decent amount of storage. Over a three-week test period, it was able to hold 20 hours of recordings from a full charge.

Once again, however, the Plaud NotePin requires a subscription to unlock full features. While the basic AI features are impressive, the unlimited use and professional vocabularies, designed to fine-tune the AI to a specific profession, require a much higher outlay, with the subscription cost being over £100/$100 more than the actual device.

One thing I noted about the app: while it is fully featured and does far more than just pairing ChatGPT with audio transcription, integration with workflow apps like Google Calendar or Trello is lacking. You're left to manually integrate findings into whichever app you use, rather than relying on an automated route, which would've been ideal.

I was also surprised that you can't manually transfer the audio files from the device to a laptop as you would with a traditional dictaphone; this all needs to be done through the companion app.

That said, once you start using the Plaud device with full AI integration, it's difficult to go back. Having reviewed the Plaud Note and used it extensively, having the same functionality in a wearable makes things even easier, especially when out and about.

While the hardware is relatively inexpensive for an audio recorder that transcribes out of the box, that translation and AI Application is limited to just 300 minutes a month before requiring one of the larger subscription plans.

If you're looking to buy a Plaud device, it's worth considering not just the cost of the hardware, but the subscription that you will need as well.

Plaud NotePin: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From $149 / £149
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Directly from plaud and online retailers

The Plaud NotePin is widely available and can be purchased directly via Plaud's official website or through online retailers like Amazon and Currys. The current price is $149 / £149, but you also need to consider the subscription plan. The Plaud AI Unlimited annual plan is $240 / £230, and the Plaud Note AI Pro plan is $100 / £100.

For most users, the Pro plan is likely the best fit. The upgrade to the Unlimited plan becomes worthwhile only if there's a language model and glossary tailored to your specific industry.

• Value: 4 / 5

Plaud NotePin: Specs

Storage: 64GB internal
Ports: Proprietary, USB-C for docking charger
Connectivity: Bluetooth
Audio: Dual MEMS microphones
Size: 8× 8 × 14 mm
Weight: 26g
OS Installed: Works via companion iOS/Android app
Accessories: Magnetic clip, wristband, lanyard, USB-C cable

Plaud NotePin: Design

The size and weight of the Plaud NotePin are designed to be clipped or worn on clothing, and with its magnetic clasp, it will easily attach to most garments. If you want to clip it to a lapel, there is an optional magnetic pin available from the store. You can even get a wristband to hold the NotePin if you want to wear it in a watch style. In this review, I received the Plaud NotePin bundle that had these additional accessories included as part of a kit.

While the NotePin is incredibly small, it isn't overly discreet, measuring in at 14 mm by 8 mm x 8 mm, so it is apparent when you're wearing it. It looks like a small wireless lav mic.

When it comes to weight, even on T-shirt material, it's light enough not to bunch the fabric too much at 26 g. This also means that if you use it with the clip, wristband, or other mounting accessories, it doesn't add too much weight or bulk.

It uses a magnetic clasp, so the magnet goes behind the material, with the NotePin connecting above to hold it firmly in place. The magnet is strong; even if you're walking around or chatting through a meeting, it will pick up audio without issue.

The device is simple, but there is quite a lot in the design. The cap itself features a magnetic back, which, once removed, reveals the contacts that sit in the charging dock, which uses a USB cable for charging. The contacts on the device are proprietary, so you do need the dock to charge it. However, this is also small and lightweight, and complements the design of the device.

My review sample was the Cosmic Grey version, which looks very neat and tidy, but there's also Lunar Silver and Sunset purple.

When it comes to use, the design and handling are exceptionally easy. A simple touch to the centre of the device starts recording, and another tap stops it. There's a slight vibration to confirm when recording starts or stops, and a small status light is incorporated into the discreet logo design to show whether it's recording or in standby mode.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Plaud NotePin: Features

The Plaud NotePin, unlike many other AI devices, has been designed to be as simple to use as possible. As such, there's no screen or complexity to the design, just a status light and a simple touch button to start and stop recording on the device itself. All other interaction is done through the Plaud AI app. What's more, to keep the design discreet, there's no physical button; it's just a touch-sensitive surface on the outer casing.

The status light is discreetly incorporated into the logo, so while it's subtle, it's still apparent that you're wearing some type of device.

The NotePin features dual MEMS microphones to pick up audio from the user as well as those nearby. Once the recording starts, the audio is stored on the internal 64GB memory, allowing it to store recordings offline if you don't have your mobile phone with you to transcribe the conversation or meeting.

AI-powered transcription is possible for up to 112 languages at present, with support expanding as needed. In this test, I stuck to UK English.

One of the main features of the app is the transcription of recorded audio. Once downloaded and subscribed to, transcriptions are fully searchable. But where the AI stands out is that you don't just get a straightforward transcription, which many other devices offer; you also get a summary feature that provides a good overview of the meeting. You can also ask the AI for further refinement of the transcription, allowing you to copy and paste it into other applications.

The base plan offers 300 minutes and includes most of the main features. However, if you want custom templates or a personal glossary tailored to your profession, you'll need one of the subscription services.

Compared with the Plaud Note, the NotePin offers higher-quality voice recording playback with timestamps, which can be listened to through the Plaud app. While this was available on the Plaud Note, the NotePin steps up the audio quality, although it's still not at the level of a wireless lav mic such as the DJI Mic 3.

• Features: 4 / 5

Plaud NotePin: Performance

When I took a look at the Plaud Note earlier in the year, I was impressed by the ease of use. Although at the time I was a little taken aback by the cost of the subscription services, in hindsight, I now feel these are actually well-balanced, having seen the gradual price rises of other AI services across the board.

Once again, the Plaud NotePin just offers a more convenient option than the Plaud Note. You can either wear it around your neck, attach it to your clothing, or wear it as a wristband, ready for whenever you need it. That means you don't have to get your phone out. A simple tap on the device and a short vibration tells you it's started recording; it's really discreet and actually far more intuitive to use than the Plaud Note.

Through the test, what I really liked was the fact that you could wear it and have it ready to go at all times. The battery life was more than enough for an entire day's use, and the small USB docking station was compact enough to fit neatly in a bag, or, as I found, I just left it on my desktop, so when I got home, I could simply give it a charge, ready for the following day.

There are other apps that can do much the same as the Plaud NotePin for free, but just having a device that's with you all the time and so simple to use makes a huge difference to its usability, and increases the likelihood you'll actually start to incorporate the power of AI into your everyday life.

There were a few things along the way that really highlighted how this device can help, but also a few areas where I felt it could be improved, especially with integration into other workflows, such as adding appointments directly to calendars and lists in Trello.

Another major point before I really look at the performance is that the audio recording quality is definitely a step up from the Note, which was fine for quickly scrubbing through, but when it came to higher-quality use, it was limited. The NotePin's recording quality does take a step up and offers much clearer clarity. However, it's still far behind what you'd get recording with your mobile phone or a wireless mic system - although pop it through Adobe podcast and the audio is usable.

Otherwise, when it comes to AI features, the Note and the NotePin are pretty much identical. The one major difference is that, when it comes to recording voice calls on your mobile phone, you will need the Note, as this is impossible with the NotePin due to its lack of direct integration.

That said, you can always put your mobile phone on speaker and the NotePin will pick up the audio absolutely fine.

In the base subscription that comes with the Plaud NotePin, you get up to 300 minutes of transcription through the app. Essentially, you record audio on the NotePin, then transfer it to the app, where it transcribes the audio into searchable text. From this point, you can generate a summary or a mind map of the meeting, conversation, or lecture in just a few seconds, and once again, I'm impressed by the speed at which this works.

You also have the choice of a few language models to use, either ChatGPT 3.0 or ChatGPT 4. At the moment, it doesn't seem to utilise the latest iteration of ChatGPT 5, although there have been so many updates to the app since I first looked at it that I'm sure this integration will follow soon.

To run you through the workflow of the Plaud NotePin: first, after charging the NotePin, attach it to your clothing using one of the accessories or the built-in magnet. This magnet clasp pulls away from the back of the Pin, and you place it behind the material of whatever clothing you're wearing.

Then place the device over the top of the material, and it holds in place securely. At 26 g, it's still noticeable on fabric, and while it's light, lightweight materials will bunch slightly.

Once in position, it's in standby mode. Open the app, select 'connect to device', and within a second or two, the NotePin should appear, ready for use. You can either press the centre of the NotePin and feel a single vibration with the status light turning red, or press again to stop and feel two quick vibrations with the status light switching off to indicate that recording has stopped.

Once you've finished recording, head to the Plaud app, and your audio should have automatically copied across. You can also start recording directly from the app. In both cases, once that's done, you click the 'generate' button at the bottom.

Here is where the subscription model really comes into play. With the 300-minute base level subscription, you can select a summary template that suits you, including building your own. A few quick examples include Autopilot Reasoning, Autopilot Consulting, Discussion, Class Lecture, Call, Interview Notes, and the list goes on. The app will transcribe the audio and then format it according to your selection.

There are many more summarisation templates available, but to access them, you'll need to upgrade to the Pro or Unlimited subscription. On a day-to-day basis, if you're just using this for personal workflow, the 300 minutes will probably suffice. However, if you're using this professionally, some of the upgraded templates, such as Clear & Highly Detailed or Strategic Meeting Summary, will really focus on the key points of a meeting. Profiling is another good one, especially for longer meetings. There's also a generic' Meeting Note' template that pulls out a few key points in less detail.

For me personally, the lecture template was particularly useful. I gave a lecture on photography and was able to pull out the key takeaways and highlights. At the end of the session, I ran the audio through the lecture option, got a decent summary, and emailed it out to students, with a list of to-do points. It also picked up on questions that were asked, so I could add these to the class notes. While most of the information was already in the planning documents, what wasn't included were those questions and evolution of the session based on student input, and it's these points that are invaluable to the students' learning.

At all subscription levels, there's a good level of interaction. With monthly plans starting at £8.40 or £99 annually (billed in one go), it becomes relatively affordable. If you work in the medical field or any profession that would benefit from a technical glossary, the Unlimited plan at £19.20/month or £229/year becomes very beneficial.

However, I did find a few things a little restrictive, even when I trialled the Unlimited plan. While the glossary of terms and greater depth of transcription analysis are useful, as well as the unlimited recording time, the content still doesn't integrate with external apps.

By this, I mean if I'm drawing up a kit list for a session, it would be great to say: "Please add tripod, ND filter, and CFexpress Type B card to the exposure triangle session kit list." Instead, each time I remembered a bit of kit or a technique to include, I had to start a new note or manually copy the summary into an external document.

Likewise, for a static website project I'm working on with a few others, the ability to upload notes directly to the Discord discussion would be handy. Again, I can make the note and summarise it, but I have to upload it manually. It would just be great if the Plaud NotePin took a little more ownership over where the AI-generated summaries go.

However, unlike many other AI devices, the stripped-down nature of the Plaud NotePin just works. It's a fast and effective way to record audio and summarise it in a few clicks. Automatic downloading to your mobile and transcription into multiple formats is incredibly useful. Whether you want to read the transcription, get a summary, see a mind map of what was said, or fine-tune it through one of the template models, the Plaud NotePin is extremely useful. My only issue is still figuring out how best to utilise a device like this to truly help with my everyday working life.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

Plaud NotePin: Final verdict

There are many AI devices out there, including those built into your mobile phone, and the integration of AI into everyday life is steadily increasing. What I really like about the Plaud NotePin is its pure simplicity. While it is an AI device, the fact that it's an intelligent dictaphone makes it less intimidating than many other AI productivity tools that have appeared on the market.

The fact that one click starts recording and another switches it off, and the app is very transparent in the way it transcribes the audio into text, allowing you to search and format it how you want, is really helpful.

For individuals, the NotePin is just a great way of quickly capturing information and ensuring you've got the key points. As we all know, in meetings, points can be missed, but with the Plaud NotePin, there's just no way of missing anything, and it's a reliable reference point that you can go back to easily.

Once again, though, the subscription model is as expensive as it is. While £10–£20 a month might not seem like a great deal, when added to all the other subscriptions required in modern life, it's another pull on your financial resources, especially after the cost of the hardware.

You also have to consider that, while it is convenient, it's only a small leap to get similar functionality from the likes of ChatGPT, on which this is based. If anything were to happen to the ChatGPT subscription model, the whole premise of this device could become obsolete.

However, as it stands, the Plaud NotePin is a superb AI workflow device. Once you sit down and figure out how to work it into your everyday life, at £140 it really does make sense, even if you only use it at the lightest level.

When you do subscribe, it opens up even more depth of analysis into your meetings, lectures, and discussions. The fact that you basically have someone taking notes for you every day and can ask for the key points instantly really does help save time and effort.

For me, there's still a lot of work to be done on the Plaud Note app in terms of workflow integration, but as it stands, it's still exceptionally good and does exactly what it set out to do.

Should I buy a Plaud NotePin?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

For more note-taking tools, we reviewed the best speech-to-text apps around.