As much as I love stationery, traditional methods of note-taking are sometimes ineffective. For example, dictaphones or recording applications are more effective during an interview. But they involve long and laborious transcription work.
Fortunately, 2024 is the year of objects stuffed with AI. Among them, the Plaud Note promises to provide a solution to these frictions that can be found in our usual work tools.
The designers fully understood that professionals, students and creatives craved a tool that could do much more than just record sound. They therefore imagined a device that would transform raw information into usable knowledge, in real time and with surgical precision. So I tested one of these tools, the Plaud Note.
A story map
© Lemon squeezer
© Lemon squeezer
Visually, the Plaud Note is amazing. Imagine a metal rectangle as thin as a credit card, barely thicker than a sheet of paper, which nevertheless contains technology capable of revolutionizing information capture. Its sleek design actually hides remarkable technical sophistication.
It stands out for its ultra-minimalist interface : a mechanical button allows you to start and stop recording, an LED indicates whether recording is in progress and an intelligent switch allows you to switch between different modes. This apparent simplicity actually masks a powerful tool powered by impressive artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence: a true collaborator
The real genius of Plaud Note therefore lies in its software ecosystem. Once registered, the device transfers the data via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to a mobile app. This is where everything happens. Plaud has in fact developed an AI with unsuspected literary talents. In reality, it relies on tools developed by OpenAI (ChatGPT) and Anthropic (Claude AI).
The possibilities offered by this AI are impressive: multilingual instant transcription, automatic generation of personalized reports, extraction of action plans, contextualized summaries and even mind maps. AI no longer simply transcribes mechanically, but understands, analyzes and reformulates information according to the specific needs of the user.
I was thus able to transcribe complete interviews such as that of the General Director of Qonto France. I also used Plaud to summarize and format my writing conferences with around ten speakers. I estimate the time savings for these two exercises at several hours.
© Lemon squeezer
© Lemon squeezer
Some tried to dampen my enthusiasm by explaining to me that Plaud did nothing more than record the latest Pixel 9 powered by Gemini AI. First of all, it’s false. I myself use a Pixel 9 Pro on a daily basis, so the recorder only allows you to transcribe voices and translate text. For summaries and other such tools, I have to go through Google’s AI in its office suite. But here again, the possibilities offered remain less compared to Plaud’s tools.
Above all, the Plaud Note stands out for its ability to recognize voicesincluding in very noisy environments. Unlike smartphone recordings which are quickly limited by technical constraints, Plaud Note has ultra-sensitive microphones guaranteeing sound capture with remarkable precision.
Finally, the Plaud Note proves to be very durable. I estimate its autonomy at around twenty hours. I was thus able to hold meetings and interviews for a week before going through the recharge box. Only small problem: the small card is recharged using a proprietary magnetic port. If we lose the cable, bye bye Plaud Note.
If it’s free…
Plaud’s economic model is based on two pillars: the sale of the device (170 euros) as well as subscription plans. Some users will be largely satisfied with basic base including free 600 minutes of recording (10 hours) with basic functionality.
To access the full potential of the technology, you will need to go through a subscription plan. Plaud then offers two options: a pack of 6,000 minutes usable over 24 months, or an annual subscription at 79 euros offering 1,200 monthly minutes as well as premium features (and not the least).
These advanced options are indeed very attractive: access to 21 customizable summary models, “Ask AI” function allowing tailor-made queries, ability to extract and analyze specific data. Artificial intelligence then becomes an intelligent collaborator, capable of adapting to your precise needs. Personally, I can’t live without it anymore.
The NotePin, a Plaud jewel
Presented during IFA 2024 in Berlin, the PLAUD NotePin takes the concept of the Note in a different format. Thanks to a series of accessories (bracelet, necklace and clip) the device can be worn in multiple ways.
As Note, it uses OpenAI’s Whisper model for transcription, which allows it to transcribe conversations in 59 languages and identify different speakers. The device also incorporates summarization and formatting capabilities through models like ChatGPT-4o or Claude 3.5 Sonnet.
The application offers more than 20 formatting templates, including an “autopilot” mode capable of automatically adapting the structure of the summary. So nothing changes fundamentally.
The NotePin is offered at 190 euros in three colors : cosmic gray, lunar silver, sunset violet.
My opinion on Plaud Note
Before starting this test, I wondered about the interest of yet another device integrating AI. Humane crashed with the AI Pin and Rabbit R1 made an oven. I also wondered what the Plaud Note could do beyond the AI functions built into my Pixel 9 Pro’s dictaphone.
After several weeks of testing, I must admit that I am won over. The Plaud Note stands out for its ability to capture voices and speakers with incomparable precision. The transcription, summary, translation tools and integrated templates save a lot of time in many professional and personal situations. There remains the question of price. Between the purchase of the device and the annual subscription, it is better that the Plaud Note is used very often.
Finally, the structure of the company raises questions about the management of personal data. Plaud is a San Francisco start-up whose parent company, based in Wyoming, is a subsidiary of a Chinese entity. We have seen more transparency.
170€
We love
- Minimalist and elegant design
- Accurate voice capture
- High-performance AI
- Very versatile tools available
We like less
- Subscription prices
- Vagueness around confidentiality
- Not for everyone
