Humane's AI Pin and Rabbit's R1 were quick reactions to the AI race and clearly weren't well thought out. AI on smartphones was still catching up and hadn't reached its full potential yet. Apple just got its smarter Siri this year, but Google had been rolling out ‘smart' AI and ML-based features on its Pixels for years. What started with photographic enhancements has moved on to smarter voice recording, image editing, and today has basically taken over the whole smartphone. And this kind of sealed the fate for standalone AI devices.

But these ideas haven't been completely sidelined. As AI models and services have matured over the past two years, we've once again seen the reemergence of physical, AI-driven devices. Unlike past attempts, these focus on doing just one thing while piggybacking on the smartphone. These aren't meant to replace your phone or what you are used to; they simply help you accomplish a task better using the power of AI. All this, while your precious smartphone remains the centre of your digital world. That's how we have devices like the Plaud Note Pro, which came to India after a year of global availability.

Given what happened in the past, and how much smarter phones have become, I was equally curious how well such an expensive, standalone, AI-powered note-taking tool would fare against the modern AI-powered smartphone (and its apps). And after using it for two whole months, here's what I think.

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Plaud Note Pro Design: Cutting Edge

Dimensions - 85.6 × 54.1 × 2.99mm
Weight - 30g
Durability - NA

One of the biggest hindrances to consumer adoption is convincing people to carry something alongside the most personal device they will ever own: their smartphone. Nobody wants to carry something bulky or even as big as their smartphone (unless it is another smartphone). So, when I unboxed the Plaud Note Pro, I was quite shocked. Not only is it as small as a credit card, but it's also as thin as two credit cards!

The Plaud Note Pro is just 2.9mm thin

It's made of aluminium, doesn't flex, and even has a physical button and a built-in display. It also has a four-pin magnetic charging port on the back and five finely tuned mics for all the listening it will be tasked with. Inside, it has a battery, a speaker, and a Bluetooth chip for transferring recordings. It also fully supports Apple's Find My network.

Shockingly, this skinny credit card-sized device also has a built-in vibration motor. This purpose-built motor has one function: provide distinct vibration feedback when a recording begins, pauses, and ends.

The Plaud Note Pro uses a mix of glass and aluminium for its enclosure

The Plaud Note Pro doesn't have its own magnets to cling to the back of your iPhone or Pixel, but it comes with a magnetic case. Slide the Plaud Note Pro into the slim case and snap it on the back of your iPhone or Pixel. If your Android device doesn't support magnetic wireless charging yet, the Plaud Note Pro package also includes a magnetic ring. After removing the peel-off sticker, simply align it with your phone's wireless charging coil (or rear panel), and you are good to go.

The Plaud Note Pro has a tiny OLED display

The 0.95-inch OLED display is protected by Gorilla Glass and shows recording status and remaining battery life. The display is minimalist, so only a pulsing white dot is visible when recording is in progress.

Plaud Note Pro Software: Clean and Intuitive

Platforms supported: Android, iOS, Web apps

The note taker is very easy to operate. Press the button once to light up the display, or long-press to start recording. It requires a bit of force, so you won't press it accidentally when you slide it into a pocket.

The Plaud App is available on iOS and Android

The Plaud App on mobile (iOS or Android) is simple and straightforward. It automatically syncs data from the recorder to your phone, then to the cloud. The app handles your recordings, templates, app integrations, and even subscriptions. You can start recording in the app or the desktop plugin, and everything saves to the cloud. Recordings initiated on the smartphone are handled by the Plaud Note Pro and don't use the smartphone's mics. However, recordings started on a desktop/laptop will use the machine's mics. Unlike the Plaud Note, the Plaud Note Pro cannot be powered off completely (unless it runs out of battery). So, if you have trust issues, you might want to grab the Plaud Note instead of the Pro.

Plaud handles data well. The company claims its note-taking system meets the highest standards, with SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, and EN 18031 compliance. It also states that Plaud never uses the data it gathers to train models or shares it with third parties without your explicit permission. You can also keep your data on the device or sync only the notes you want for transcriptions.

You will need to slide the Plaud Note Pro into its magnetic case and attach it to the back of your phone (iPhone or Android) to record calls

The note-taking experience is customisable. You can instruct the Plaud app to focus on key points and action items, or let it suggest open questions. You can also change the way Plaud explains information (formal tone, concise, etc.). You can also use the app's AutoFlow feature and instruct it on how to handle audio recordings and summaries as soon as a recording ends. You can do this by setting filters, searching for specific keywords, or using templates based on the recording length. These can get insanely specific, and it's impressive how the system handles all these customisations. You can even customise AutoFlow to set up an email alert (with a summary and transcript) when a transcription is ready! Workflow integrations with Microsoft Office tools, Google services, Trello, Slack, Zoom, and more are coming soon.

Plaud Note Pro Performance: Built to Impress

Mics - 4 MEMS mics + 1 VPU mic
Storage - 64GB
Battery - 500mAh

The Plaud Note Pro uses four Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) microphones. They consume minuscule amounts of power and take up little space because they are integrated into the circuit board. It also includes one Voice Pick-Up (VPU) microphone/sensor. This mic is embedded in the back of the Plaud Note Pro. When the device is mounted on the back of the phone (required for recording calls), it uses bone conduction (feels surface or internal vibrations) to pick the caller's voice from your smartphone's receiver speaker (minus the ambient sounds around you). The other four mics pick up your voice. It's a clever trick, and it gets the job done discreetly, especially on iPhones.

The VPU mic on the back of the Plaud Note Pro, which is used to pick up the caller's voice

The recording audio quality (with or without the case) isn't great. It sounds a bit muffled and distorted. Meanwhile, the Oppo Find X9s and the iPhone 14 Pro delivered impressive, Studio-like sound that you could literally use as a voice-over. I get the point about Plaud being used mainly for generating transcripts (so audio quality usually takes a back seat), but with five mics (and raw data), some AI magic could have refined the audio quality.

What the Plaud Note Pro (or the Plaud app) got perfectly right was the transcription. While the ‘Original transcript' doesn't get all the spoken words right, the ‘AI transcript' definitely impresses because it uses Plaud's own AI model, Plaud Intelligence. It's purpose-built to “understand” and “add meaning” to the resulting transcriptions.

For example, when I read the introduction from my iQOO Z11 Lite Review, Plaud accurately picked up the “iQOO Z11 Lite” moniker and created a useful mind map around it.

The AI Recorder tool on Oppo's Find X9S heard it as the “Mi 11 Lite” but also added “iQOO's smartphone range” to the mind map, suggesting it doesn't reference or understand context like the Plaud Note Pro.

What genuinely impressed me were the “Next arrangements” suggestions, available in the summary notes after a meeting or interaction. These highlight points that may have been discussed but oddly had no resolution by the end of the conversation. After longer interactions or interviews, this section also includes checkboxes with points, suggesting extra research needed to make the discussion valid for an interview.

Many other Plaud users online say the specialised templates help differentiate Plaud from similar mobile apps like Otter.ai or Parrot Notes. These specialised templates (locked behind a paid plan) cater to users from various professions.

And this is where you should decide whether you need a Plaud Note Pro or whether a regular mobile app is enough. With a Plaud Note Pro, you get 300 transcription minutes of recording free every month.

The Plaud Note Pro has a magnetic four-pin charger

Plaud has a Pro plan for Rs. 1,999 monthly (Rs. 9,900 per year), which includes 1,200 transcription minutes per month. Then there's the Unlimited plan, which costs Rs. 2,999 monthly (Rs. 24,900 per year), gives you unlimited transcriptions, AI features (multimodal input, multidimensional summaries) without limits, and early access to premium features.

Based on my usage, the free tier is more than sufficient, but someone who attends meetings frequently will probably need at least the Pro plan.

As for battery life, the device can last about two days of continuous recording if you are a student attending back-to-back lectures. And about 3 days if you are a busy professional attending about 3-4 30-60 minute meetings per day.

Plaud Note Pro Verdict

I have used the Plaud Note Pro in overcrowded (and extremely noisy) conference halls, during quiet sit-down interviews, when recording phone conversations (for future reference), and even in parent-teacher meetings. No matter where I used it, it was always interesting to review the insights or points I might have missed during a conversation. It almost feels like having a personal assistant who takes notes and points out what's relevant when you have time to wind down.

And that's the whole point of the Plaud Note Pro. Many will find it when searching for a physical voice-recording tool. But those familiar with transcription will know its talent lies in how Plaud Intelligence processes what it records. And this is why I am convinced that many should and will reach out to get this device despite its high asking price. This includes journalists, writers, lawyers, doctors, and pretty much anyone who attends a ton of meetings, meets a lot of people, and wants to remember everything that was said.

Overall rating: 8/10

Pros:

Thin and lightweight design
MagSafe compatible with case
5 mics offer excellent recording range
Top-notch transcriptions
Wide variety of templates
Simple and intuitive companion app
Hassle-free call recording on iPhones

Cons:

Not water- or dust-resistant
Audio recordings could have been clearer
Subscription plans are pricey