Plaud NotePin is no longer sold on uk.plaud.ai. Plaud NotePin S is the current wearable in the range, at £159. This page explains exactly what changed between the two, which is useful if you already own a Plaud NotePin and are weighing an upgrade, or if you are deciding between Plaud NotePin S and the rest of the Plaud line.
The two devices look almost identical. Same size, same shape, near-identical weight. Put them side by side and you would be forgiven for thinking the difference was just a name change.
It wasn't. Three concrete things changed, and one of them, Press to Highlight, is hardware-level. It was never available on Plaud NotePin at any price, and no software update could add it.
What is the difference between Plaud NotePin and Plaud NotePin S?
Plaud NotePin S adds three things over the earlier Plaud NotePin: Press to Highlight, a physical tactile button, and all four wearing accessories in the box. Everything else is the same: same AI, same 3 m pickup range, same 20-hour battery, same 64 GB storage.
| Spec |
Plaud NotePin (previous generation) |
Plaud NotePin S (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | No longer sold | £159 |
| Weight | 16.6 g | 17.4 g |
| Record button | Pressure-sensitive | Physical tactile |
| Press to Highlight | Not supported | Supported |
| Accessories in box | Magnetic pin + clip | Magnetic pin, clip, wristband, lanyard |
| Storage | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| Battery | 20 h recording / 40 days standby | 20 h recording / 40 days standby |
| Pickup range | Up to 3 m | Up to 3 m |
| Phone call recording | No | No |
What they share: the foundation you are buying into
Both devices were built on the same platform. The AI quality, the recording hardware and the compliance posture are identical.
· Size: 51 × 21 × 11 mm on both
· Storage: 64 GB on both
· Microphone: 2 MEMS, up to 3 m pickup range on both
· Recording mode: In-person only. No phone call recording on either device
· Battery life: Up to 20 hours recording, 40 days standby on both
· AI engine: Plaud Intelligence, with the same transcription, summaries and templates on both
· Languages: 112 languages supported on both
· Connectivity: Bluetooth BLE 5.2 + Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz on both
· Find My (Apple): Supported on both
· Compliance: SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR on both
Same AI, same transcription quality
Both run Plaud Intelligence. Transcript accuracy, summary quality and template options are the same across Plaud NotePin and Plaud NotePin S. The AI processes recordings in the cloud, so local hardware does not change the output.
Custom AI templates, including templates for ADHD, medical consultations and meeting notes, work on both devices.
Same wearing options, once you have the accessories
Four wearing styles exist for the Plaud NotePin series: magnetic pin, clip, wristband and lanyard. Both devices support all four. The difference was always what came in the box.
Plaud NotePin shipped with the magnetic pin and clip only. Plaud NotePin S ships with all four, so you can open the box, decide how you want to wear it, and go.
In-person recording only: important before you buy
Neither device records phone calls. Both record in-person conversations only. Plaud NotePin S does not detect an incoming call and does not capture both sides of one.
If you need to record both phone calls and in-person meetings from a single device, look at Plaud Note or Plaud Note Pro instead. Buying a wearable for phone call recording will not work.
The 3 real differences
Three things changed between the two generations. Each one is concrete and hardware-level. None of them could be added later through a software update.
Difference 1: Press to Highlight (Plaud NotePin S only)
During a recording, press the button once. Plaud marks that moment on the timeline. Plaud Intelligence then pulls highlighted moments into the AI summary first, before everything else.
The practical use: you are in a meeting, someone says something important, and you press the button without stopping the conversation. Later, the summary leads with that moment. You don't need to scrub through the full recording to find it.
Plaud NotePin's pressure-sensitive button starts and stops recording. That is all it does. It cannot trigger a Highlight. Press to Highlight is available on Plaud NotePin S, Plaud Note and Plaud Note Pro.
A verified buyer described the result as being fully present during meetings. Press to Highlight removes the need to break focus to note something down.
Who this matters to: anyone who attends structured meetings or lectures where specific moments need to be found again later. ADHD users in particular find the combination of Press to Highlight and Plaud's dedicated ADHD template useful for structured recall.
Difference 2: Button feel, physical tactile vs pressure-sensitive
- Plaud NotePin S — physical tactile
- Plaud NotePin — pressure-sensitive
Plaud NotePin used a pressure-sensitive button. It responded to touch but gave no physical click or resistance, so you could trigger it without meaning to, or press it and not feel whether it worked.
Plaud NotePin S uses a physical tactile button, the same type as Plaud Note and Plaud Note Pro. It clicks. You feel it. You know whether it registered.
In practice: worn on your chest during a meeting, a pressure-sensitive button is hard to confirm without looking down. Plaud NotePin S lets you confirm by feel, with no glancing down and no breaking eye contact with the room.
Who this matters to: medical professionals, people in formal meetings, or anyone wearing the device where looking down at it would be awkward or disruptive.
Difference 3: What's in the box
- Plaud NotePin S — all 4 accessories included
- Plaud NotePin — pin + clip only
Plaud NotePin S ships with all four ways to wear it: magnetic pin, clip, wristband and lanyard, plus the charging dock and USB-C cable.
Plaud NotePin shipped with the magnetic pin and clip. The wristband and lanyard were sold separately.
| Item | Included in |
|---|---|
| Magnetic pin + clip | Both |
| Wristband | Plaud NotePin S only (in-box) |
| Lanyard | Plaud NotePin S only (in-box) |
| Charging dock + USB-C cable | Both |
Already own a Plaud NotePin? Is the upgrade worth it
Your Plaud NotePin keeps working. It still runs Plaud Intelligence, still gets the same transcription quality, and still receives the same AI templates and app updates. Nothing about it stops functioning because it left the store.
Upgrading to Plaud NotePin S makes sense if:
· You want to mark key moments while a conversation is still happening. Press to Highlight cannot be added to your existing device
· You have mis-triggered the pressure-sensitive button, or you regularly can't tell whether a press registered
· You want the lanyard or wristband without buying them separately
Staying on your Plaud NotePin makes sense if:
· You review full recordings after the fact and don't need in-the-moment highlights
· You only ever use the pin and clip
· You prefer the pressure-sensitive button's flush profile, or the slightly lighter 16.6 g body
Buying now: which Plaud should you choose?
Plaud NotePin S is the only wearable in the current line-up, so the real decision is between wearing a device and attaching one to your phone. One question narrows it down fast: do you need to record phone calls?
| Plaud NotePin S | Plaud Note | Plaud Note Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form factor | Wearable, hands-free | Card, attaches to phone | Card, attaches to phone |
| Phone calls | No | Yes | Yes |
| In-person meetings | Yes | Yes | Yes, larger rooms |
| Press to Highlight | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Walking, ward rounds, field work, back-to-back in-person conversations | Hybrid work: calls and meetings from one device | Conferences and high-stakes meetings in bigger spaces |
Choose Plaud NotePin S (£159) if your conversations happen face to face and you want your hands free. Clip it on, press once, and forget it is there.
Choose Plaud Note if you need phone calls and in-person meetings from a single device. This is the most common reason people move away from the wearable.
Choose Plaud Note Pro if you record in larger rooms, with more speakers, and want the longest battery and widest pickup.
Not sure? The device comparison page puts the full line-up side by side.
FAQ
What is the difference between Plaud NotePin and Plaud NotePin S?
Three things. (1) Press to Highlight: Plaud NotePin S can mark moments mid-recording; Plaud NotePin cannot. (2) Button type: Plaud NotePin S has a physical tactile button; Plaud NotePin had a pressure-sensitive button with no click feedback. (3) Accessories: Plaud NotePin S includes all four wearing options (pin, clip, wristband, lanyard) in the box; Plaud NotePin included only the pin and clip. Plaud NotePin S is £159. Plaud NotePin is no longer sold on uk.plaud.ai.
Can I still buy a Plaud NotePin?
Not on uk.plaud.ai. Plaud NotePin S has replaced it as the wearable in the range. If you already own a Plaud NotePin it continues to work normally, with the same Plaud Intelligence features, app updates and AI templates.
I already own a Plaud NotePin. Should I upgrade to Plaud NotePin S?
Only if you want Press to Highlight or a button you can confirm by feel. Those are the two things you cannot get on your current device, and neither can be added by a firmware update. Transcription quality, summaries, templates, battery and storage are identical, so if you are happy pressing record and reviewing afterwards, there is no functional reason to upgrade.
Does Plaud NotePin have Press to Highlight?
No. Press to Highlight is available on Plaud NotePin S, Plaud Note and Plaud Note Pro. Plaud NotePin's pressure-sensitive button starts and stops recording only. It does not trigger a Highlight marker. This is a hardware difference and cannot be added through a software update.
Which Plaud NotePin is better for ADHD?
Plaud NotePin S. Press to Highlight works directly with Plaud's dedicated ADHD AI template: you mark important moments during the conversation, and the AI summary prioritises those flagged sections. Users describe this as the main reason they reach for the device. Plaud NotePin lacks Press to Highlight, which makes the same workflow less precise.
Can Plaud NotePin S record phone calls?
No. Plaud NotePin S records in-person conversations only. It does not detect phone calls and does not capture both sides of a call. If you need phone calls and in-person meetings from one device, consider Plaud Note or Plaud Note Pro, both of which support dual-mode recording.
Plaud NotePin S: £159 → uk.plaud.ai/products/plaud-notepin-s
