The soundcore Work is the world’s first coin-sized wearable AI note-taker and voice recorder that can operate for eight hours non-stop on its own or up to 32 hours in its charging dock. It will automatically sync with your phone app so it can produce a transcript and summaries using ChatGPT.
I’ve been using it for several months and I absolutely love it. We see a lot of junk tech here at Image Matrix Tech, so it’s rare to see something that not only solves a problem but is a joy to use.
DESIGN
The soundcore Work weighs only 10 grams and really is just the size of a coin. Well … a thick coin. I have the silver version, which is officially called white. The charging dock is white, but the recorder itself is definitely silver. The other option for purchase is black.
It has a tab/strap that enables the recorder to be carried like a pendant or clipped to clothing. If placed in the dock, the whole setup can be attached magnetically to the back of a phone. I’ve found the clip solution to be most useful.
The dock has a cutout in the top right corner to house the recorder. You simply pull up using the tab/strap, and it comes free. It’s held into place magnetically. It cannot be pulled laterally; it must be pulled up.
The overall design is excellent . The recorder is so small it could easily be lost, but when placed in the charger, it’s a good size to keep from going missing. If you’re an iPhone user, then you can locate the missing recorder via the Apple Find my Network.
OPERATION
The soundcore Work is very easy to operate. Download the app from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store to get started. Once the device is paired, it will automatically sync recordings to your phone.
To record, you push the button on the side of the recorder, and an orange LED will indicate that it’s working. This push button locks in when capturing audio. This design will help avoid accidental recordings. Another great feature. While recording, you can quickly double-click the top of the recorder to highlight important content. The recorder will vibrate slightly, and the yellow light will flash once to confirm the mark has been added.
When the audio is synchronised on your phone, it can be shared or transcribed by AI. You’ll need an internet connection for transcription and AI summaries.
PERFORMANCE
The dual microphones capture sound precisely within a 5-metre radius, ensuring the speaker’s voice is clearly recorded. I’ve successfully recorded media briefings in large rooms with many people.
I’ve been impressed with the audio quality, which also means the translation/summarising AI can do a better job converting to text.
Voice Enhancement uses advanced noise reduction to effectively filter out environmental noise, ensuring voices are clearly captured. Skip Silent Segments intelligently detects and skips over silences in recordings, making playback and transcription more efficient.
The most I’ve recorded at any one time would not exceed a few hours, but you can easily get 8 hours on a single charge or 32 hours in the dock.
TRANSCRIPTION AND AI SUMMARIES
After recording, your file is encrypted and sent to the cloud for processing. A few seconds or minutes later, you’ll have a pretty accurate transcription and summary if you desire. The audio file is deleted from the server and only lives on your device. It’s up to you to choose if you want cloud backup.
Powered by ChatGPT, the system generates structured, high-quality summaries using language models, accurately distilling key information. You can choose from multiple options for different scenarios or let AI automatically select the most suitable one.
Cross-Recording Aggregated Summaries allows you to select multiple recordings under the same topic to generate an aggregated summary. AI will automatically extract key points across documents, helping you track progress while keeping the entire project history clear at a glance.
soundcore has received an independently conducted SOC 2 Type 1 report to confirm its security controls were properly designed and implemented at the time of the audit, demonstrating our commitment to safeguarding user data. The soundcore Work has been verified by independent laboratories and received certifications for NIST IR 8425 and EN 18031.
Of course, if you just want to listen to the audio, you can do that and share it too.
SUBSCRIPTION
The only downside to the soundcore Work is the subscription plan for power users. You’ll get 300 minutes of free transcription service per month. If you record more, then you’ll need to subscribe to the Pro plan or Unlimited plan.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
- soundcore Work is available now for A$239.99 from the official website and other tech stores.
Transcription Subscriptions:
- Free: 300 mins
- Pro: 1200 mins – A$69.99 for new subscribers. It offers 6 months free initially.
- Unlimited: Not limited to the amount of transcription time. $239.99 per year.
