NotePin

The Plaud NotePin (by Plaud.AI, San Francisco, founded 2023) is a lightweight wearable AI voice recorder worn as a clip, pendant, or wristband: a notes-pendant form factor distinct from the glasses, earbuds, necklace, and ring entries in the cohort. It taps to record meetings and conversations and uses third-party large language models (GPT, Claude, and Gemini) for transcription and AI summarization, and independent reviews confirm those core features work as advertised, placing it in the genuine-cloud-AI tier. It launched in August 2024 at about $169 with an optional Pro subscription, and a successor, the NotePin S, launched in January 2026 in the same price range. DEPLOY records it at commercial maturity: it ships, is purchasable, and is independently verified as functional, and it is a tier-1 citation winner in Google's AI Overview for 'best wearable AI' queries. Its model is subscription-augmented (a free tier plus a paid tier for more transcription minutes), the inverse of Hey Pocket's no-subscription-core posture. One cap-flag: Plaud's sales and revenue figures (more than a million devices, profitability, and $180-to-$250 million annualized revenue) are company self-reports, recorded as claimed rather than independently audited.

Readiness

NotePin is shipping now at $159-$169 (actual sale price), no capability claims are on file, 1 verified deployment is on file, and no incidents are on record.

Availability

shipping-now

Shipping now.

see evidence →

Price honesty

actual-sale-price

2 prices on file: $159 (actual sale price), $169 (actual sale price).

see evidence →

Capability honesty

no-claims

No reviewed capability claims on file for NotePin.

see evidence →

Real-world use

commercial

Maturity: commercial. 1 verified deployment in the registry.

see evidence →

Safety record

no-incidents

No incidents on record. 1 verified deployment on file.

What it claims to do

No reviewed capability claims on file.

Price

• $159actual sale price · as of 2026-06-17
• $169actual sale price · Plaud.AI (NotePin product page) ↗ · as of 2024-09-20

Real-world use

• Global operated by Plaud AI

Safety record

No incidents on record. 1 verified deployment on file.

Privacy

Privacy practices disclosed by Plaud AI for NotePin, with verification status.

• Cloud uploadverified

  Recordings, transcripts, and AI summaries are stored locally on the device by default. If you turn on Private Cloud Sync, they optionally upload to AWS servers in the US, Germany, Japan, or Singapore.

  Source: https://eu.plaud.ai/pages/ai-data-usage-transparency-policy

• Training data useverified

  Plaud does not use your audio, transcriptions, or summaries to train AI without your explicit opt-in. Its AI providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google use enterprise APIs that do not retain or train on your data.

  Source: https://eu.plaud.ai/pages/ai-data-usage-transparency-policy

• Third-party sharingverified

  Your audio goes to OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google for transcription and summarization under contracts that require zero data retention. No data is shared for advertising or profiling beyond what law requires.

  Source: https://eu.plaud.ai/pages/ai-data-usage-transparency-policy

• Data deletion controlverified

  You can delete data anytime through the app. If you turn off Private Cloud Sync, data is deleted from the cloud once transferred back to your phone. Plaud holds ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, and GDPR certifications.

  Source: https://eu.plaud.ai/pages/ai-data-usage-transparency-policy

• Data retentionverified

  Plaud retains personal data only as long as necessary for the stated purposes; by default, audio recordings are stored locally on the device and cloud copies are deleted immediately after AI processing unless the user enables Private Cloud Sync, in which case data persists until the user deletes it.

  Source: https://global.plaud.ai/policies/privacy-policy

• Data saleverified

  Plaud explicitly states it does not sell personal information for monetary value and does not disclose personal data to third parties for their direct marketing purposes; website cookies for Meta and Google pixels may constitute data sharing under CPRA but do not involve audio or transcription content.

  Source: https://global.plaud.ai/policies/privacy-policy

• Bystander recordingverified

  The NotePin captures audio from all speakers within approximately 3 meters using dual MEMS microphones; Plaud's policy instructs users to obtain consent from all participants before recording, but there is no technical mechanism preventing recording of non-consenting bystanders beyond the mandatory red indicator light.

  Source: https://global.plaud.ai/policies/privacy-policy

• On-device processingverified

  The NotePin performs no on-device AI processing; audio is captured and stored locally, then transferred to the Plaud app via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, after which all transcription, summarization, and AI analysis occurs on cloud servers using enterprise LLMs including GPT, Claude, and Gemini.

  Source: https://global.plaud.ai/policies/privacy-policy

• Cloud uploadverified

  Plaud NotePin collects account information including email address and encrypted password, billing and shipping information, IP address and operational behavior data, customer service communication records including call recordings, and audio recording files uploaded for transcription with generated result texts.

  Source: maker privacy policy · 2026-06-17

• Data saleverified

  Plaud does not sell your personal information for monetary value; however, Plaud shares online identifiers and browsing data with advertising and analytics partners including Meta and Google for cross-context behavioral advertising purposes.

  Source: maker privacy policy · 2026-06-17

• Data deletion controlverified

  Plaud users can access and correct account data, request deletion by deactivating their account, request data portability, opt out of sharing via a Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information link or Global Privacy Control browser signals, and withdraw consent by contacting Plaud.

  Source: maker privacy policy · 2026-06-17

• Data retentionverified

  Plaud deletes or anonymizes most personal data when the user deletes their account; audio files are not retained in the cloud once result texts are generated; passwords are stored encrypted; data is stored on servers in the United States.

  Source: maker privacy policy · 2026-06-17

Specs

notes

• Verified: The Plaud NotePin is a shipping, purchasable wearable AI voice recorder (clip/pendant/wristband) launched Aug/Sept 2024 at ~$169 with an optional subscription; independent reviews confirm the transcription + AI summarization work as advertised. A successor, NotePin S, launched January 2026, confirming an ongoing commercial product line.
• Claimed (company self-report): Plaud's figures of 1M+ devices sold, profitability, and ~$180M-$250M annualized revenue are company self-reports relayed by Forbes/analysts, not independently audited.
• Category: AI-native wearable; form_factor=wearable. A capability-matches-claims case (contrast with Humane/Rabbit), in the productivity/transcription cohort with Limitless and Bee.

launch

NotePin preorders Aug 2024 at ~$169 (plus optional Pro subscription); NotePin S Jan 2026

function

tap-to-record meetings/conversations; AI transcription + summarization (uses GPT/Claude/Gemini)

formFactor

wearable AI voice recorder (clip / pendant / wristband)

What's under the hood

No brain on file for NotePin.

Frequently asked questions

Is the NotePin actually available for purchase?

Yes, shipping now.Source: Plaud NotePin product page (wearable clip/pendant/wristband AI recorder)

What does the NotePin cost?

NotePin has 2 prices on file: $159 one-time (actual sale price) and $169 one-time (actual sale price).Source: Plaud.AI (NotePin product page)

Does the NotePin require a subscription?

No. Every Plaud NotePin comes with a free Starter plan (300 transcription minutes/month) and is fully functional without a paid plan; paid plans add more minutes.Source: Plaud AI pricing page

Where is the NotePin being used?

NotePin is in use at: Global operated by Plaud AI.Source: Plaud AI

Is the NotePin safe?

No incidents on record across 1 verified deployment.

How does the NotePin handle privacy?

Plaud AI has disclosed 12 privacy practices for NotePin: cloud upload (Recordings, transcripts, and AI summaries are stored locally on the device by default. If you turn on Private Cloud Sync, they optionally..), training data use (Plaud does not use your audio, transcriptions, or summaries to train AI without your explicit opt-in. Its AI providers including OpenAI..), third-party sharing (Your audio goes to OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google for transcription and summarization under contracts that require zero data retention. No..), data deletion control (You can delete data anytime through the app. If you turn off Private Cloud Sync, data is deleted from the cloud once transferred back to..), data retention (Plaud retains personal data only as long as necessary for the stated purposes; by default, audio recordings are stored locally on the dev..), data sale (Plaud explicitly states it does not sell personal information for monetary value and does not disclose personal data to third parties for..), bystander recording (The NotePin captures audio from all speakers within approximately 3 meters using dual MEMS microphones; Plaud's policy instructs users to..), on-device processing (The NotePin performs no on-device AI processing; audio is captured and stored locally, then transferred to the Plaud app via Bluetooth or..), cloud upload (Plaud NotePin collects account information including email address and encrypted password, billing and shipping information, IP address a..), data sale (Plaud does not sell your personal information for monetary value; however, Plaud shares online identifiers and browsing data with adverti..), data deletion control (Plaud users can access and correct account data, request deletion by deactivating their account, request data portability, opt out of sha..), and data retention (Plaud deletes or anonymizes most personal data when the user deletes their account; audio files are not retained in the cloud once result..).Sources: https://eu.plaud.ai/pages/ai-data-usage-transparency-policy, https://global.plaud.ai/policies/privacy-policy, maker privacy policy

Who makes the NotePin?

NotePin is made by Plaud AI, based in unknown.Source: Plaud NotePin product page (wearable clip/pendant/wristband AI recorder)

Video

Compare side by side

• NotePin vs Hey Pocketby Open Vision Engineering (Hey Pocket) · wearable
• NotePin vs Mentra Liveby Mentra · wearable
• NotePin vs INMO Air3by INMO · wearable

Sources

1. Plaud NotePin product page (wearable clip/pendant/wristband AI recorder) · https://www.plaud.ai/products/notepin ↗
2. Plaud.AI introduces NotePin (preorders Aug 28 2024) · https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/plaudai-introduces-plaud-notepin-the-future-of-enhanced-productivity-is-an-ultra-light-wearable-ai-device-302232959.html ↗
3. Plaud's $169 ChatGPT-powered NotePin (hands-on; transcription/summaries work) · https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/20/plauds-169-chatgpt-powered-notepin-has-a-permanent-place-in-my-travel-bag/ ↗
4. Plaud launches NotePin S + desktop notetaker (Jan 2026; ongoing product line) · https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/04/plaud-launches-a-new-ai-pin-and-a-desktop-meeting-notetaker/ ↗
5. Plaud launches NotePin S wearable AI recorder · https://siliconangle.com/2026/01/05/plaud-launches-notepin-s-wearable-ai-recorder-bot-free-desktop-app/ ↗
6. Plaud NotePin independent review · https://blog.lon.tv/2024/09/26/plaud-ai-notepin-review/ ↗
7. Plaud company profile (founders Nathan Xu / Charles Liu; SF + Shenzhen) · https://sacra.com/c/plaud/ ↗
8. https://global.plaud.ai/policies/privacy-policy ↗
9. Plaud AI · https://plaud.ai/ ↗
10. https://eu.plaud.ai/pages/ai-data-usage-transparency-policy ↗
11. maker privacy policy · https://www.plaud.ai/policies/privacy-policy ↗ · 2026-06-17