Plaud Launches NotePin S: Is AI Notetaking Evolving?

Ahead of this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Plaud has unveiled its latest AI-powered notetaking hardware, the Plaud NotePin S, alongside a new desktop application designed to capture and structure notes from digital meetings. The launch signals a clear expansion of Plaud’s strategy, moving beyond in-person recording tools and into a broader ecosystem that blends wearable hardware with software-based meeting intelligence (Yahoo Tech).

Plaud originally entered the market with its pin-style AI notetaker in 2024, a product that earned positive reviews for its simplicity and portability. The new Plaud NotePin S builds on that foundation while introducing a physical button that allows users to start and stop recordings instantly. During a recording, users can tap the same button to highlight important moments, a feature already present in Plaud’s higher-end Note Pro device. This design choice reinforces Plaud’s focus on making note capture fast and unobtrusive, especially in live, in-person settings (Mezha).

Priced at $179, the Plaud NotePin S is designed to be worn in a variety of ways. The package includes a clip, lanyard, magnetic pin, and wristband, giving users flexibility depending on their environment or preference. To reduce the risk of loss, Plaud has also added Apple Find My support, allowing users to locate the device if it goes missing. Internally, the device offers 64 GB of onboard storage and a battery capable of up to 20 hours of continuous recording. Two MEMS microphones enable clear audio capture from roughly 9.8 feet, or about three meters, away. Users receive 300 minutes of AI transcription per month at no additional cost, making the device usable without an immediate subscription upgrade (TechCrunch).

When compared to the Plaud Note Pro, the NotePin S has a shorter recording range and slightly lower battery life. However, its smaller size and lightweight form factor make it easier to carry throughout the day. Plaud has positioned the device as an ideal option for people who are frequently on the move, such as professionals attending meetings, interviews, or conferences. This launch marks Plaud’s fourth hardware product, and the company reports that it has shipped more than 1.5 million devices to date, highlighting steady demand for its AI-assisted notetaking tools (Mezha).

In addition to the new hardware, Plaud is expanding into the competitive space of digital meeting notetakers with a desktop client built to work across multiple meeting platforms. The app can detect when a meeting is active and prompt users to begin capturing a transcript. On macOS, the application records system audio from meetings and then uses AI to convert that audio into structured notes. This move places Plaud in more direct competition with software-first tools such as Granola, Fathom, and Fireflies, while allowing the company to serve users who split their time between physical and virtual meetings (TechCrunch; Yahoo Tech).

Plaud has also brought its multimodal notetaking capabilities to the desktop environment. Previously introduced in its mobile experience, this feature allows users to combine audio transcriptions with images and typed notes in a single workspace. By extending this functionality to desktop meetings, Plaud is reinforcing its vision of a unified notetaking ecosystem where wearable devices and software tools work together seamlessly. The launch of the NotePin S and the desktop app demonstrates Plaud’s broader ambition to support how people capture, organize, and revisit information across both physical and digital contexts (TechCrunch; Mezha).

This article was written by the Covertly.AI team. Covertly.AI is a secure, anonymous AI chat that protects your privacy. Connect to advanced AI models without tracking, logging, or exposure of your data. Whether you’re an individual who values privacy or a business seeking enterprise-grade data protection, Covertly.AI helps you stay secure and anonymous when using AI. With Covertly.AI, you get seamless access to all popular large language models - without compromising your identity or data privacy.

Try Covertly.AI today for free at www.covertly.ai, or contact us to learn more about custom privacy and security solutions for your business.  

Works Cited

Mezha. “Plaud Launches AI NotePin S for Digital Meetings at CES.” Mezha, 2026, https://mezha.net/eng/bukvy/plaud-launches-ai-notepin-s-for-digital-meetings-at-ces/.

TechCrunch. “Plaud Launches a New AI Pin and a Desktop Meeting Notetaker.” TechCrunch, 4 Jan. 2026, https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/04/plaud-launches-a-new-ai-pin-and-a-desktop-meeting-notetaker/.

Yahoo Tech. “Plaud Launches a New AI Pin and a Desktop Meeting Notetaker.” Yahoo Tech, 2026, https://tech.yahoo.com/home/articles/plaud-launches-ai-pin-desktop-162810258.html.

Plaud CA. “Plaud.ai - the World’s No.1 AI Voice Recorder Brand.” Plaud CA, ca.plaud.ai/?srsltid=AfmBOoqoWvOWi9m1NJC1PErsJ3cgYiTGF2_Js8rHEkyULjgglhp_QDTn.