When in Xataka They offered me to try the Plaud Note Promy reaction was predictable: “another AI gadget that can be an app.” For a couple of years we have been seeing technological gadgets that promise to change our lives thanks to AI, sometimes with terrible resultand in general being solutions in search of a problem.
But the Note Pro surprised me. Not because he does magic, but precisely because he doesn’t try to do it.
This design only makes sense when you have it in your hand
The product photos are very deceiving with this device. On the screen it looks like any other piece of junk, just another aluminum rectangle. When you take it out of the box, the reaction is to say “how cool is this.” It is literally the size of a credit card and just 3 millimeters thick.. We are not talking about “fine to be an engraver”, but fine, period.
It’s ridiculously fine. Here, next to the AirPods Pro case to size it better. Image: Xataka.
The first thing you do is try to fold it, because your brain doesn’t process that something so thin can have four microphones, 64 GB of storage and battery for 30 hours of continuous recording. The brushed aluminum finish is impeccable, with the kind of quality that makes you think of Apple. And I say this as criticism and as a compliment: They are clear about who they are copying, and they do it extraordinarily well.
Well, that’s ridiculously fine. And well finished. Image: Xataka.
The less than one-inch AMOLED screen is a detail that seems superfluous until you use it. It is not to watch videos, but to confirm at a glance that you are recording, how much battery you have left, and if you have marked any highlight. Nothing more, nothing less. It is design with purpose, not ornamentation.
The screen has its purpose beyond being an indicator of the remaining battery. Image: Xataka.
The uncomfortable question: why not just use an app?
This is where it gets interesting. Because yes, you have options like Otter.ai or the native recorder on your mobile with automatic transcription. They are free, or almost. They already live in your pocket. Why on earth would you want to spend $179 on a separate thing, plus a subscription that ranges from $20 a month to $250 a year?
The honest answer is that for most people, it doesn’t make sense. If you record one meeting a month, use your mobile. If you need to transcribe from time to time, Otter is more than enough for you. But if you live in meetings, briefingsinterviews, calls with clients, presentations… the equation begins to change.
The Note Pro frees you from cell phone dependenceand that is more valuable than it seems a priori. When you record with your cell phone, that cell phone is busy. On many occasions you cannot consult documents, take notes in parallel or respond to an urgent message. And above all, you can’t let it run out of battery just when you need it most. The Note Pro is a single function deviceand that specialization is its strength.
It charges via magnetic pogo-pin connector. Image: Xataka.
🔌 Image: Xataka.
The recording quality also makes a difference. The four MEMS microphones pick up voices up to five meters away with remarkable clarity, and the AI processing to separate speakers works surprisingly well. In tests in meeting rooms with six people, it correctly identified each voice without the need for anyone to speak in ordered turns. Otter.ai on my mobile usually works great, but tends to mix voices if two people are talking at similar volumes.
But let’s be clear: the gap is not abysmal. Modern apps also work well. The advantage of the Note Pro is cumulative, not punctual: better battery, better audio capture, a device that you can leave on the table without worrying about interrupting notifications, without anxiety in case someone calls in the middle of recording. And also, if you have an iPhone with MagSafe, there is a wallet with which you can stick the Plaud to it and even be able to record calls.
The Plaud Note Pro inside your MagSafe wallet. Image: Xataka.
Also here. Image: Xataka.
The button highlight: small detail, big difference
There is a feature that sounds trivial on paper but that in use I have found to be extraordinarily useful: the highlight. During a recording, if someone says something important, you press briefly and the system marks that moment. Not only to locate the fragment later, but for the AI to prioritize that information in the summaries. Bright.
I’ve tried this on long presentations and the difference is brutal. Without highlightsthe summary gives you a medley where what is important can be diluted between ramblings.
With highlights strategic, the summary goes directly to the decisions, commitments, critical points. It’s an elegant way to guide AI without having to write prompts after. Kudos to whoever had this idea.
The AI behind it: powerful but expensive
Hardware is only half of the equation. The magic happens in the Plaud app, which processes the recordings using models from Google, OpenAI or Anthropic. You can choose which model to use for each transcriptionwhich is a level of control I wasn’t expecting.
When starting a transcription we can choose between automatic and personalized transcription. If we choose the second, we can even choose the model to use. And it already includes the recently released Gemini 3 (although in beta). Image: Xataka.
The different views of a transcript: summary, geolocation and recognition of who the key person is (if introduced at the beginning), key points, thematic index and complete transcript. Image: Xataka.
The transcription is excellent. Comparatively better than Google Meet or Zoom in my experience, although that may depend on accent and environment. What is really interesting are the summary templates: you have everything from meeting minutes to Q&A format for interviews, to class notes or analysis of business calls. And if none of them work for you, you can create your own with prompts personalized.
Examples of transcription templates in the Plaud app. Image: Xataka.
I tested this by dictating entire sections of an article while walking, and the result was… disturbingly good. The AI not only transcribed, it cleaned up fillers, structured paragraphs, and maintained my tone. I needed minimal retouching to publish.
But here comes the but: none of this is free. The basic version gives you 300 minutes per month. If you need more, there are different single purchase packages of minutes, or monthly or annual subscriptions that are not cheap. For intensive professional use, it is reasonable. For occasional use, it is a considerable stick that will make more than one retreat.
Who does this really make sense to?
Let’s be honest about the target audience. The Note Pro lives at a very specific intersection: people who attend a lot of meetings, presentations, briefingsinterviews or important calls, AND that has a sufficient purchasing power to justify the initial outlay plus an annual subscription.
Consultants, lawyers, executives, journalists, academic researchers. People for whom time is literally money, and automating note-taking and summaries can save many hours per week. For a lawyer who bills 200 euros an hour, the Note Pro pays for itself if it saves one hour a month. For a student or a liberal professional with a modest salary, surely not.
We must also consider the dependency factor. Plaud is a young startup. What happens if they go bankrupt or decide to close the service? You are left with a beautiful aluminum paperweight. There is no local transcription, everything goes through your cloud. It is the risk inherent to any hardware dependent on external servicesand I wish Plaud all the luck in the world, but in the world of AI startups, mortality is high.
Would I recommend it?
After three weeks of forcing myself to use it in different circumstances, my answer is: it depends a lot on who you are.
- If you work in consulting, law, journalism, B2B sales, or any field where important meetings and conversations are your staple, the Note Pro is a legitimately useful tool. It is not a technological whim, it is a productivity multiplier… although it is true that for more limited budgets an app may be enough.
- If you have sporadic meetings or your job doesn’t critically depend on capturing and processing conversations, save yourself the money. Your mobile with Otter.ai or the native recorder is enough for you.
For me he has become a wonderful companion. Not out of absolute necessity, but because it reduces friction: I take it out, place it on the table, press the button, and I forget. The cell phone is still my cell phone.
Plaud has done something that almost no hardware AI company has managed: create a product that justifies its physical existence. It doesn’t try to be your personal assistant, your universal translator and your pocket oracle all at the same time. It is an excellent recorder with built-in AI for intelligent processing. That’s all. And in a world full of gadgets that promise heaven and deliver smoke, that modesty of purpose is balmy.
The future of AI in hardware probably won’t be magic pins or talking rabbits. It will be this: specialized, well-designed devices that do one thing extraordinarily well. The Note Pro isn’t for everyone, but for those who need it, it’s exactly what it should be.
Featured image | Xataka
This product has been provided for testing by Plaud. You can consult how we do reviews in Xataka and our relations policy with companies.
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