- The Pocket is the latest standalone AI-powered gadget to be unveiled.
- For $79, it promises to record, transcribe and organize conversations.
The hype around AI-powered hardware at the start of the year has largely dissipated as customers seemed reluctant to pay for the Humane AI Pin, Plaud.AI NotePin or Rabbit R1, regardless of their many AI capabilities. However, a new device called Pocket approaches the market from a different angle, with a compact design and a much lower price.
Created by Open Vision Engineering, Pocket promises to record, transcribe, and organize conversations as an affordable companion for professionals and/or those who want to document their day. The $79 (around £79) device is available to order now, with shipping expected in early 2025, and is paired with a companion app for Android and iOS.
The device itself attaches magnetically to the back of smartphones and is activated with a button to capture both live and phone calls and encrypt the recordings. Once recorded, Pocket transcribes the conversations and distinguishes between multiple speakers in the document.
The AI also analyzes interactions with the Conversation Map feature. This tool breaks the flow of discussions so you can see how ideas developed, who contributed, and where the conversation went on that inevitable tangent. Combine this with the thousands of customizable templates and you have a flexible way to organize your thoughts.
Pocket price plan
Pocket comes with 200 free recording minutes per month and then requires users to purchase credits. Yet it comes across as much more budget-friendly than its competitors. The Plaud NotePin, which clips to your clothing, costs $169 and offers only 100 more minutes per month compared to Pocket, although there is a $79 annual Pro Plan with 1,200 minutes per month and other features.
Then there’s the Rabbit R1, whose bright orange box costs $199 and is also designed for web searches and app control. Finally, the $699 Humane AI Pin comes with voice commands and projects information onto your hand. These devices all offer different types of AI support and a lot of extra power, but that may not be what people want from AI hardware.
Pocket keeps things simple by comparison. Instead of trying to be a portable wonder or a flashy lifestyle gadget, Pocket focuses purely on recording, transcribing and organizing conversations. Whether this simplicity will help Pocket carve out a niche or get lost in the shuffle remains to be seen, but for those who just need a simple way to keep track of conversations, Pocket may be the perfect fit.