Hardware company Plaud.ai unveiled its latest physical notebook device, the Plaud AI Pro (referred to as "Note Pro"), on Wednesday. Priced at $179, this notebook marks two years since the launch of the original Plaud Note and one year since the company introduced its AI Pin wearable device.

For those unfamiliar with the original product, Plaud Note is a credit card-sized hardware notebook that attaches to the back of smartphones to help users record phone calls or in-person meetings.

The Note Pro maintains a similar appearance to the original Note but features one key difference: the new device is equipped with a 0.95-inch AMOLED display that shows recording indicators, battery levels, and other information.

Under standard recording range conditions, the Note Pro can record for up to 30 hours on a single charge. When the recording range is reduced to 9.8 feet (approximately 3 meters), the battery life extends to 50 hours.

Plaud.ai states that the Note Pro incorporates four MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) microphones, compared to just two in the original model, enabling clearer audio capture. This enhancement allows the Note Pro to achieve an effective recording range of 16.4 feet (approximately 5 meters), double that of the original Note. The startup also claims improvements in noise reduction capabilities and speaker identification features.

While the original Note required manual switching between call recording and offline recording modes, the Note Pro offers automatic recognition and switching functionality.

Plaud.ai has also updated its companion application with several new features. Users can now take text-based notes directly on their phones (similar to functionality offered by the Granola app) and add visual content such as slides and images.

The app update introduces a "multi-dimensional summary" feature, allowing users to extract key information from notes in various formats including key insights and data points. Plaud.ai has built a template library for summary generation, with the app automatically recommending suitable templates based on users' professional roles. Users can also create custom templates.

Another new feature, currently in beta testing, enables users to search and query their note content.

The Plaud Note Pro is priced at $179/£169, with pre-orders beginning today and shipping expected in October 2025. The company offers pre-order customers 600 minutes of free transcription time and a magnetic protective case. All users receive 300 minutes of free transcription service monthly, with additional time available through monthly subscription plans or one-time purchases.

While other AI device manufacturers face declining popularity, Plaud stands as one of the few companies showing steady performance. For instance, Bee, backed by Exor Group, has been acquired by Amazon, while Friend has only recently begun shipping after multiple delays.

Plaud reports that its AI hardware notebooks have achieved cumulative shipments exceeding one million units, with nearly 50% of users upgrading to Pro paid subscription plans.