In-person: recorders, pins, room systems
Summary
For in-person meetings you have three ways to get AI notes: the phone app you already pay for, a small recorder or wearable pin, or the meeting room system itself. Start with your phone if your Zoom or Google plan already includes in-person notes. Buy a card recorder if you record a lot away from a desk. Use the room system if you need the transcript to name each speaker in the room. A calendar notetaker bot won't help here: Otter notes that "Calendar-link bots don't work in a room without a virtual meeting platform present" (Otter blog, Jun 4, 2026).
Whatever you use, get everyone's consent and check local recording laws before you record. A device on the table or on your shirt is easy to forget, so say it out loud.
This page is based on the maker's specs and, where available, named reviews. We found no named reviews comparing these devices, so it uses maker pages only. Prices are the makers' listed prices on 2026-11-12. CrimsonBot has not tested these devices.
Before recording a phone call, tell everyone on it and ask for their consent. Some states require consent from everyone on the call, and an interstate call can bring in the stricter state's law (RCFP guide: https://www.rcfp.org/reporters-recording-guide/). This is general information, not legal advice.
Recording laws cover in-person conversations too, not just phone calls; the RCFP guide summarizes each state's rules for both. This is general information, not legal advice.
Option 1: your phone
Who it fits: people already on a Zoom paid plan or an eligible Google plan, who record now and then.
- Zoom Voice Recorder with AI records, transcribes and summarizes in-person conversations in the Zoom mobile app. It needs a Pro, Pro Plus, Business, Business Plus, Education or Enterprise account, app version 6.4.5 or higher and a supported phone, and it is being upgraded to My Notes in version 7.0.5 or later. Zoom reminds you to follow applicable recording laws (Zoom).
- Google Meet "Take notes for me" in person: start it on a nearby device and Gemini documents the meeting. Notes go to the Drive of whoever started it. You need an eligible Workspace edition or Google AI plan (Google Meet Help).
- Otter describes in-person capture "via a phone, laptop, or dedicated device," and advises: "Check consent laws in your jurisdiction and always announce that you are recording" (Otter blog). We found no Otter-branded recorder.
Option 2: a card recorder or wearable pin
Who it fits: people who record often, on the move, or on phone calls as well as in person.
| Device | Type | Listed price, checked 2026-11-12 | Maker's stated pickup / battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaud Note | Card, attaches to phone or used on a table | $159.00 | Up to 9.8 ft; up to 30 h recording |
| Plaud Note Pro | Card with a small status display, four mics | $189.00 | Up to 16.4 ft; 30 h (Enhance) or 50 h (Endurance) |
| Plaud NotePin | Wearable pin | $159.00 | Up to 9.8 ft; up to 20 h |
| Plaud NotePin S | Wearable pin, Apple Find My | $179.00 | Up to 9.8 ft (3 m); up to 20 h |
| Bee Frontier | Wrist or clip wearable | $74.99 | "7+ day battery life" |
| Omi | Pendant, or set on a desk | Check current price at Omi | 2 to 3 days battery |
Sources: Plaud Note, Plaud Note Pro, Plaud NotePin, Plaud NotePin S, Bee Frontier, Omi. Pickup and battery figures are the makers' claims. Plaud adds: "Recording distance and performance may vary by environment" (Plaud Note Pro).
Our gear pages: Plaud Note Pro, Plaud NotePin S, Bee Frontier.
What the subscription costs:
- Plaud: every device includes the Starter Plan, 300 transcription minutes a month (no rollover; recording continues if you run out, only transcription pauses). Pro is $8.33/month billed annually or $17.99 monthly (1,200 minutes). Unlimited is $20.00/month billed annually or $29.99 monthly (Plaud plans).
- Omi: the free plan includes unlimited on-phone transcription and 300 cloud minutes a month. Pro is optional (Omi).
- Bee: "Select features require a Bee Pro subscription." Bee Pro price: unverified, not shown on the page (Bee).
Things to know before you buy:
- Omi is always on. Its FAQ: "While you wear it and it is paired, Omi captures your conversations continuously, so you never have to remember to press record" (Omi). That makes consent harder in meetings; plan how you'll tell people.
- Pacemakers. Plaud says: "If you use a pacemaker, avoid wearing NotePin on your chest area (including with lanyard, magnetic pin, or clip) because of its magnetism" (Plaud NotePin).
- Compliance claims are the maker's. Plaud says it meets "SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, and EN 18031 standards" and that "Your data is not used to train AI models unless you opt in" (Plaud Note Pro). Bee and Omi make their own privacy claims on their pages. We have not checked any of these independently.
- Makers' own consent reminders: Plaud: "If required by law, please obtain consent from all participants before recording" (Plaud Note Pro).
Coming, not shipping: Fireflies Fly is a "card-sized device" for in-person meetings, calls and voice memos that "works with the Fireflies plan you already have, including Free." It's on a waitlist with no price, and Fireflies says "Fly availability expected early next year." Fireflies says Fly "will display when it's recording" and "you're responsible for compliance" (Fireflies Fly; Fireflies press release, Nov 11, 2026).
No longer sold: Limitless says it "has been acquired by Meta" and stopped selling the Pendant to new customers as of December 5, 2025. Existing customers get support through 2026 (Limitless).
Option 3: the meeting room system
Who it fits: offices with a Microsoft Teams Room that need the transcript to say who in the room said what.
With enrolled voice profiles, Teams Rooms can attribute in-room voices to the right person. It needs Teams Rooms Pro for rooms, transcription turned on, and people invited to the meeting. Microsoft suggests at most 10 in-person attendees for the best precision (Microsoft Learn). Microsoft publishes no accuracy figure there. For more on room transcripts, see the guide on accurate AI transcripts from a room, on the way on the AI notetakers hub.
Room gear costs: a cost guide, What a room costs: DIY vs installer, is on the way.
Not covered yet
- Fireflies Fly price and ship date.
- Bee Pro price.
- Any test comparing a phone, a pin and a room system for accuracy.
Affiliate disclosure (FTC)
Some links on this page may be affiliate links, labeled "(paid link)". They do not change what we recommend or the order. See the affiliate disclosure.
Sources (all checked 2026-11-12)
- Otter blog, How to Choose an AI Notetaker for In-Person Meetings (Richard Tasker, Jun 4, 2026): https://otter.ai/blog/ai-notetaker-for-in-person-meetings
- Zoom, Using Voice Recorder with AI: https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0080794
- Google Meet Help, Take notes in person: https://support.google.com/meet/answer/17020724?hl=en
- Microsoft Learn, voice recognition in Teams Rooms: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/rooms/voice-recognition
- Plaud Note: https://www.plaud.ai/products/plaud-note-ai-voice-recorder
- Plaud Note Pro: https://www.plaud.ai/products/plaud-note-pro
- Plaud NotePin: https://www.plaud.ai/products/plaud-notepin
- Plaud NotePin S: https://www.plaud.ai/products/plaud-notepin-s
- Plaud AI plan pricing: https://www.plaud.ai/pages/plaud-ai-plan-pricing
- Bee Frontier: https://bee.computer/products/frontier
- Omi: https://www.omi.me/products/omi
- Fireflies Fly: https://fireflies.ai/fly
- Fireflies.ai Corp. press release (Nov 11, 2026): https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/11/11/3400748/0/en/fireflies-ai-evolves-from-ai-notetaker-to-ai-teammate-in-its-most-significant-expansion-to-date.html
- Limitless: https://www.limitless.ai/
- RCFP Reporters Recording Guide: https://www.rcfp.org/reporters-recording-guide/
Plaud, NotePin, Bee, Omi, Fireflies, Limitless, Meta, Otter, Zoom, Google Meet, Gemini and Microsoft Teams are trademarks of their owners. CrimsonBot is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.