While they’ve mostly been replaced by smartphones these days, digital voice recorders have long been widely used for a variety of applications such as business meetings and interviews, all the way down to school projects. That in mind, it’s a bit rare to see them now in casual settings, but that hasn’t stopped manufacturers from continuing to make them.
In fact, it’s not everyday that we get a new digital voice recorder, much less one that’s powered by AI. It’s a somewhat niche industry segment, but it’s something that Mobvoi (yes, that Mobvoi) wants to tap into—enter the Mobvoi TicNote, an AI-powered voice recorder that integrates a ton of neat features in a small and compact package. Should you get one though? Let’s take a look.
Mobvoi TicNote Specs
- 3.39 x 2.17 x 0.118 inches, aluminum build
- built-in OLED display
- 470 mAh battery, up to 20+ days standby time
- 64GB storage (around 430 hours of recordings)
- 3X built-in MEMS microphones
- Supports .WAV formats
Unboxing and Design
The Mobvoi TicNote comes in pretty simple packaging, with just the recorder itself, a MagSafe-compatible wallet holster, a USB Type-A charging cable, an additional MagSafe Ring, as well as some paperwork which includes a setup guide and warranty information.
In terms of design, the TicNote is pretty lightweight and isn’t that much larger than an ATM card. It’s also thin, and you can easily slide it into your pockets without issue. The included carrying case allows you to attach it to an iPhone or any other device which supports MagSafe functionality, adding to its overall portability.
The recorder comes with a small built-in OLED screen which displays the battery and current recording sessions, a power button, and a toggle that can switch between voice recordings and phone call recordings. There’s also a small port on the rear where the charging pin goes.
App and Features
It’s important to mention that the TicNote isn’t meant to be used on its own—you’ll have to download the TicNote app on your smartphone, which will handle your recorded files and let you change the settings for your device. I did have some trouble setting up the app, and it took a number of reinstalls and restarting my Bluetooth connection before I was able to link the recorder to my phone.
While it is small, the TicNote can record 64GB worth of audio, which is a decent size especially since audio recordings don’t really take up a ton of space. It also does a decent-enough job of summarizing your recordings with the AI features, which works really handy if you need a quick and easy way to “take down” notes. It also helps that its battery can last a long time, reducing the need for one to keep charging it.
It should be noted that the app also acts as a portal where users can sign up for Mobvoi’s “One Credit” plans. This is essentially a paid monthly (or annual) service that gives you a set number of credits, which you can then use for different features such as “Aha Moments,” “Deep Research” and Mobvoi’s own “Shadow” AI assistant to name a few. You do get some free credits when you first set up the device, though.
Final Thoughts
At a price starting at around $160, it is interesting to see companies embrace this sort of technology, and the Mobvoi TicNote is a handy tool on its own, although at this price we’d recommend getting it for the additional AI features, but only if you really need them for your workflow. Additionally, factors like a reliable battery and clear-enough audio definitely add to its overall value, but at the end of the day it’s a niche product with a very specific target audience, albeit one that does its task rather nicely.
