AI Notetakers in 2026: Hardware Devices vs Software Solutions

AI notetakers were everywhere at CES 2026. Wired called them one of the biggest trends of the show, and for good reason. Companies like Plaud, Limitless, and Bee are building dedicated hardware devices that clip to your shirt, sit on your desk, or hang around your neck, all designed to record and transcribe conversations throughout your day. It is a revival of the microcassette recorder, rebuilt with modern AI.

But the rise of hardware notetakers raises an important question. Do you actually need a separate device to capture and transcribe your conversations? Or can software running on the devices you already own do the job just as well, or better?

According to TechCrunch’s CES coverage, Plaud launched two new products at the show: the NotePin S (a wearable AI pin) and a desktop app for digital meeting notes. The company sees a future where every conversation, from formal meetings to casual hallway chats, gets recorded and processed by AI.

If you already use tools like ScreenApp’s AI note taker or meeting transcription, you might wonder where hardware fits in. Let’s look at the landscape.

The Hardware Wave

Several hardware AI notetakers competed for attention at CES 2026. Here are the main players.

Plaud NotePin S. The second-generation wearable from Plaud. It is a small pin that clips to your clothing and records conversations throughout the day. The audio is transcribed and summarized using Plaud’s AI. The original NotePin was one of the breakout products of CES 2025, and the S version adds improved microphone quality and longer battery life. Pricing is around $169 for the device, plus a subscription for the AI processing.

Limitless Pendant. A pendant-style device that hangs around your neck and records conversations. It connects to a phone app where you can review transcripts, summaries, and insights. The Limitless team positions it as a “memory augmentation” device. The pendant costs $99, with a subscription plan for cloud processing.

Bee. A screenless, always-on wearable that listens throughout your day and builds personal summaries, reminders, and insights. Bee takes the most aggressive approach to ambient recording. Rather than focusing on meetings specifically, it aims to capture everything.

Plaud Desktop. Alongside the NotePin S, Plaud also launched a desktop application that transcribes digital meetings (Zoom, Google Meet, Teams) without requiring a hardware device. This is notable because it shows even hardware companies recognize that software-only solutions are necessary for virtual meetings.

The common thread is that all these devices are trying to solve the same problem: people forget what was said in conversations, and manually taking notes is distracting and incomplete.

Why Hardware Appeals

There are legitimate reasons why dedicated hardware is attractive for note-taking.

Always-on recording. Hardware devices can record in-person conversations that software tools cannot easily capture. When you are in a conference room, walking through a factory floor, or having coffee with a client, your laptop might not be open. A wearable device captures these moments automatically.

Simplicity. Press one button (or no button at all) and recording starts. There is no app to open, no browser tab to configure, no meeting link to share. For non-technical users, this simplicity is genuinely valuable.

Microphone quality. Dedicated devices can include better microphones than the ones built into laptops or phones. The Plaud NotePin S and Limitless Pendant both use directional microphones designed to capture speech clearly even in noisy environments.

Social signaling. Wearing a visible recording device signals to others that the conversation is being captured. This can be seen as a positive (transparency) or a negative (surveillance), depending on context and culture.

The Case for Software

Software-based AI notetakers have their own set of advantages that hardware cannot match.

No additional device to carry, charge, or lose. This is the simplest and most powerful argument. You already have a laptop, phone, and headphones. Adding another device to your daily carry introduces friction: charging it, remembering to bring it, keeping track of it.

Works everywhere digital meetings happen. The majority of professional meetings in 2026 happen on Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and similar platforms. For these meetings, software tools work perfectly because the audio is already digital. You do not need a microphone in the room when the audio is coming through your computer.

Richer context. Software tools can capture not just audio but also screen content, shared presentations, and chat messages. ScreenApp’s screen recorder captures both the audio and the visual content of a meeting, which means your notes include context about what was being shown, not just what was said.

Instant processing. Software notetakers can transcribe and summarize in real-time, during the meeting. Hardware devices typically need to sync to a phone app or cloud service after the conversation ends, introducing a delay before you can access your notes.

Lower cost. Most software notetakers offer free tiers, and paid plans are monthly subscriptions you can cancel anytime. Hardware devices cost $99 to $169 upfront plus ongoing subscription fees for the AI processing. If the device does not work for you, you are stuck with a piece of hardware you do not need.

Better integration. Software tools integrate with your existing workflow: calendar apps, project management tools, document systems, and communication platforms. Hardware devices typically have their own closed ecosystems.

Comparison Table

Where Hardware Makes Sense

Hardware AI notetakers are not pointless. There are specific scenarios where they genuinely outperform software solutions.

Field work and site visits. Engineers, inspectors, and consultants who visit job sites, factories, or construction zones need to capture notes in environments where opening a laptop is impractical. A wearable recorder that captures conversations hands-free is genuinely useful here.

Medical consultations. Doctors and therapists who want to transcribe patient conversations benefit from a discreet device that records without requiring them to interact with a computer during the appointment.

Journalism and interviews. Reporters conducting in-person interviews have always used recording devices. AI notetakers modernize this workflow by adding automatic transcription and summarization.

Networking events and conferences. When you meet someone at a conference and have a five-minute conversation, pulling out your phone to start recording feels awkward. A wearable device that is always recording captures these moments naturally.

The common theme is that hardware excels in situations where you are away from your computer, having face-to-face conversations, and need hands-free operation.

Where Software Wins

For the vast majority of knowledge workers, software notetakers are the better choice. Here is why.

Most meetings are virtual. Despite the return-to-office trend, a huge percentage of meetings still happen on video conferencing platforms. For these meetings, software is not just equal to hardware. It is superior because it captures the digital audio directly without any microphone quality concerns.

The workflow matters more than the recording. Getting a transcript is step one. What matters is what happens next: summarization, action item extraction, search, sharing, and integration with your project management tools. Software tools have years of development in these post-transcription workflows. Hardware devices are still catching up.

Privacy and consent are simpler. When you use a software tool to record a virtual meeting, all participants see the recording indicator and can consent. With hardware devices recording in person, the consent question becomes much more complicated. Many jurisdictions require two-party consent for recording conversations, and a small clip-on device is easy to forget about.

Updates and improvements are automatic. Software tools improve continuously. When ScreenApp improves its speaker diarization or adds a new AI model for summaries, every user gets the update immediately. Hardware devices depend on firmware updates and are constrained by their physical microphone and processor.

ScreenApp’s Position

ScreenApp was designed from the start as a browser-based recording and transcription platform. No hardware to buy. No software to install. No meeting bots that join your calls and make other participants uncomfortable.

You open your browser, start recording, and ScreenApp handles the rest: transcription with speaker labels, AI summaries, structured notes, and a searchable archive of all your recordings. It works with Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and any other platform that runs in your browser.

The AI meeting assistant generates summaries and action items automatically. The audio note-taking feature works as a Chrome extension, so you can capture and transcribe audio from any tab. For lectures and presentations, the screen recorder captures both the visual content and the audio, giving you a complete record you can search and reference later.

This approach works for the 90% of note-taking scenarios that happen on a computer. For the 10% that happen in person, away from any device, hardware notetakers fill a genuine gap. But for most knowledge workers, the computer is always open and nearby.

The Market Is Splitting

The AI notetaker market in 2026 is splitting along a clear line. On one side, hardware companies are building dedicated devices for ambient, always-on recording. On the other side, software companies are building increasingly intelligent platforms that turn recordings into actionable knowledge.

The interesting development is that even hardware companies are building software tools. Plaud’s desktop meeting app is essentially a software notetaker. Limitless has a web dashboard for reviewing transcripts. They recognize that hardware alone is not enough. The value is in the AI processing, not the microphone.

This convergence suggests that the future is not “hardware vs software” but rather “hardware + software” for different contexts. You might use a wearable device for in-person conversations and a software tool for virtual meetings. The key is that both feed into the same system where your notes are organized, searchable, and actionable.

For users making purchasing decisions today, the practical advice is this: start with software. A tool like ScreenApp costs nothing to try, works immediately, and handles the majority of meeting scenarios. If you find yourself frequently needing to record in-person conversations without a computer nearby, then a hardware device makes sense as an addition, not a replacement.

What 2026 Looks Like

The fact that AI notetakers were a dominant trend at CES 2026 tells us something about where the technology market is heading. Recording and transcribing conversations is becoming normalized. The question is no longer “should I record this meeting?” but “how do I make the most of the recordings I already have?”

This shift benefits users enormously. Transcription accuracy has improved dramatically. AI summaries are getting better at identifying what actually matters in a conversation. Search across thousands of hours of recorded content is becoming practical. And the cost of all this has dropped to the point where it is accessible to individuals, not just enterprises.

The tools that will win in this market are the ones that make the full workflow effortless. Not just recording. Not just transcribing. But understanding, summarizing, organizing, and surfacing the right information at the right time. That is where the real competition is, and it is a competition that will be won by software intelligence, regardless of how the audio gets captured.

Getting Started

If you want to try hardware AI notetakers, the Plaud NotePin S ($169) and Limitless Pendant ($99) are the most established options.

If you want to start with a software solution that works immediately, try ScreenApp’s AI note taker. Open your browser, start recording, and get transcripts, summaries, and structured notes automatically. No hardware purchase, no setup, no subscription required to get started.

FAQ

Do I need a hardware device for AI note-taking?

No. Software tools like ScreenApp handle meeting transcription and note-taking directly in your browser. Hardware devices are useful for in-person conversations away from a computer, but most meeting scenarios work perfectly with software.

How much do hardware AI notetakers cost?

Prices range from $99 (Limitless Pendant) to $169 (Plaud NotePin S) for the device, plus monthly subscriptions of $8 to $15 for AI processing features.

Can ScreenApp record in-person meetings?

Yes. You can use ScreenApp in your phone’s browser to record in-person conversations. The audio quality depends on your phone’s microphone, but it works well for conference room settings.

Are hardware notetakers legal to use?

Recording laws vary by jurisdiction. Many places require all-party consent before recording a conversation. Check your local laws before using any recording device, whether hardware or software.

What is better for virtual meetings, hardware or software?

Software is better for virtual meetings. Tools like ScreenApp capture the digital audio directly, which means perfect audio quality with no microphone placement concerns. Hardware devices add unnecessary complexity for virtual meetings.

Can I use both hardware and software notetakers?

Yes. Many users combine a hardware device for in-person conversations with a software tool for virtual meetings. The key is finding tools that let you organize all your notes in one place regardless of how the audio was captured.