CES 2026 was one for the books, and for our team at Plaud, it was a defining moment.
Walking the sensational show floor this year, one thing was crystal clear: people don’t just want AI, they want AI that works for them. At Plaud, we experienced this firsthand as we welcomed enthusiastic interest from conference goers, journalists, and analysts open to close. Guests weren’t just curious, they were buying, testing, and genuinely excited about our 360-degree AI note-taking solutions.
That excitement represented something even bigger: a clear shift in how people expect AI to show up in their daily lives.
A Major Milestone for Innovation
CES 2026 marked our largest and most impactful presence yet in the public arena. From product launches to industry recognition, this week validated our commitment to delivering focused, state-of-the-art, reliable AI solutions that solve real, human problems.
In case you missed it, here’s what we announced — and celebrated — in Las Vegas.
Award-Winning Innovation (Four Times Over)
We were honored to receive four of CES’s most respected awards, a testament to the incredible work from our product, engineering, and design teams:
🏆 Trusted Reviews – Best in Show
🏆 TechRadar ProPicks Award
🏆 Wearable – Best in Show
🏆 USA TODAY – Top Picks CES
In a show overflowing with ambitious AI concepts and experimental hardware, Plaud stood out for something refreshingly different: focus, usability, and reliability.
Product Launch: Plaud NotePin S
CES 2026 was the official launch of Plaud NotePin S, the next evolution of our AI-powered wearable note-taker.
Designed to disappear into your day while capturing what matters most, NotePin S can be:
- Clipped to a collar
- Worn on a wristband
- Styled as a necklace lanyard
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Magnetically attached for maximum flexibility
What’s New, and What Customers Loved
The most talked-about update? A physical “Highlight” button.
This new button allows users to instantly mark important moments during a conversation in real time, making downstream AI summaries, transcripts, and insights even smarter. It directly addresses feedback from earlier haptic-only designs — and the response at CES confirmed we got this one right. NotePin S is more than a voice recorder or notetaker. It’s a true AI work companion.
Price & Availability
- $179 USD
- Available immediately at plaud.ai
Software Launch: Plaud Desktop
CES also marked the debut of Plaud Desktop, our new Mac and PC application built for modern, hybrid work.
Plaud Desktop:
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Captures audio from Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and more
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Seamlessly syncs recordings into your Plaud library
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Extends Plaud beyond physical wearables into your daily digital workflow
For many attendees, this completed the picture: one seamless ecosystem for conversations, wherever they happen…in-person or online.
Plaud Shop: Packed, Energized, and Non-Stop
Our shopfront booth in North Hall quickly became a destination (or shall I say, sensation).
From live demos of Plaud Note Pro to hands-on time with NotePin S and exclusive on-site promotions, the energy never let up. At peak moments, our team was surrounded several rows deep — a clear signal that intelligent note-taking is no longer a niche.
People want:
- Better meeting recall
- Accurate, contextual summaries
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Tools they can trust
And they want them now.
The Public Read: Practical AI Wins
We were proud to see strong, genuine interest around our CES presence and product innovations, reflecting what we hear consistently from our customers. CNET, ZDNET, TechCrunch, LA Times, and Yahoo! Tech were just a few outlets to examine Plaud at the show.
Across the board, reviewers highlighted Plaud as a practical counterpoint to more speculative AI devices — praising our focus on:
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Real-world usability
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Dedicated hardware with best-in-class audio capture technology
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Immediate value for executives, creators, students, journalists, and teams
This alignment between industry, customers, and accolades is rare — and incredibly meaningful.
Scribe, Anyone?
Between the packed show floor, entertainment, and busy networking, carving out time for sessions can be tricky during CES. That’s why we put our notetakers to work and scribed keynotes for you!
Now you can get the summaries from sessions, free and available now, courtesy of Plaud, here.
See how our AI structures conversations into clear, organized notes — complete with speaker labels and background-noise reduction (a must at CES).
Looking Ahead
CES 2026 reinforced something we’ve believed from the start:
The future of AI isn’t louder or flashier; it’s more useful. More fundamentally human.
Plaud is committed to building intelligence solutions that help people capture, understand, and act on the moments that matter most. The response at CES tells us we’re on the right path…and this is only the beginning.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hi, shared feedback, picked up a device, or watched a demonstration. We can’t wait to show you what’s next.
