Voice AI innovator Subtle has unveiled its latest advancement: noise-canceling wireless earbuds designed to enhance audio quality during calls and improve transcription accuracy for voice notes. Debuting ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, these earbuds will be available for shipment across the U.S. in the coming months, with a retail price set at $199. Each purchase includes a one-year subscription to the accompanying iOS and Mac app, enabling users to take voice notes or engage with AI functionalities without the need for manual input.
Key features of the earbuds include an advanced chip that facilitates interaction with an iPhone—even when it is locked—making voice control seamless and efficient. Subtle aims to position itself against popular AI-powered dictation tools such as Wispr Flow and Willow, claiming its earbuds can achieve five times fewer transcription errors than AirPods Pro 3 when paired with OpenAI’s transcription model.
In addition to the earbuds, which are offered in both black and white, users can place pre-orders directly through the startup’s website. Subtle’s ambition is to consolidate various functionalities—dictation, AI interaction, and voice notes—into a single product, where previously released devices like note-taking rings by Sandbar and Pebble have paved the way.
With a total of $6 million in funding, Subtle is collaborating with industry players like Qualcomm and Nothing to enhance its noise isolation technology, aiming to elevate user experiences in noisy environments.
