Credit-card Sized, The Plaud Note Pro Could Be Your New Productivity Essential

IT’S SLIMMER THAN MOST OBJECTS, fits into a stylish case and can process information quicker than my brain. It’s not human. It is most certainly a device powered by Artificial Intelligence.

Before I even started using the Plaud Note Pro, an AI-powered recorder, I asked myself: do I need another device around me? Like any true journalist, I own a dictaphone and a smartphone capable of recording interviews and meetings. But can they give me notes, summaries and a mind map? This is where Plaud surprised me.

Here’s what you get straight out of the box: a 300-minute monthly transcription quota (this can be increased through paid plans), a magnetic case and ring and a charging cable. Very neat. The device itself, almost the size of a credit card, looks premium.

The Note Pro operates with a single physical button. Haptic responses tell you when the recording has started or ended. The InstantView display shows when a recording is in progress and battery levels, which were excellent while I used the product. It’s capable of recording even in loud settings. That small size is a deception. The device can capture voices up to five metres, thanks to four microphones. When not in use, the Note Pro silently goes into standby mode.

To be fair, I like the idea of a separate device to record my meetings. Yes, everyone likes shoving their phones in front of an interviewee. What if it starts ringing mid conversation? Or, what if you forget to put it on flight mode before hitting the record button?

But let’s talk about the AI. Syncing with the Plaud app is seamless. Audio files are transferred from the device to the phone almost instantly. When I tested it for a recent edit meeting, I didn’t come back to a plain transcript. But instead, a detailed summary of the meeting notes, next steps of action, AI suggestions and a mind map. Summary templates can be changed the way you like it. You can even ask Plaud AI questions about the transcript and the summary notes on the app. According to Plaud, its AI can transcribe in 112 languages, identify speakers, recognise custom vocabulary and generate different types of summaries using more than 10,000 templates.

Crucially, Plaud claims that your meetings and recordings are not used to train AI models or shared with third parties. The data also remains encrypted.

Priced at ₹20,990, the Note Pro can also be used to record calls. Just slap it on the back of your smartphone with the magnetic ring and you are good to go. It can switch automatically between phone call and in-person recording modes.

But here’s the key difference. Unlike other devices, the Note Pro doesn’t just record. It also interprets. This is not AI used as spoon-feeding. It’s more like an assist. If used ethically, this is a device that can take your productivity goals from good to great. But you remain in control, always.

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