Wired has published its updated 2026 guide to AI notetakers, portable devices that record conversations and use AI to transcribe and summarise them into outlines, quotes and action points. The reviewer tested several devices in real meetings, interviews and calls, alongside a standardised recorded presentation, judging them on transcription accuracy, insight quality, speed, extra features and value for money, following a surge in popularity of such devices at CES 2026.

The guide, updated in August 2026 to add newer entrants such as Soundcore, SpeakON, Looki, Flowtica, Vocci and iFLYTEK, ranks its top picks with pricing. It also notes that dedicated app-based alternatives, including Otter.ai, Bluedot, Google's Recorder and Apple's Voice Memos, can perform similar functions without a standalone gadget, though physical devices remain useful for in-person settings where phones are impractical.

– Best overall: Comulytic Note Pro, $129
– Runner-up: Open Vision Engineering Pocket, $199 (reduced to $129)
– Best for translation: InnAIO AI Translator T10, $189 (reduced to $159)
– Best AI note-taking earbuds: OSO AI Earbuds, $160