Voice AI startup Subtle has just rolled out a new set of wireless earbuds designed to make your voice sound clearer during calls and to assist with transcriptions. At $199, these earbuds aim to tackle the common issue of background noise that often hinders voice clarity.
Unveiled before CES in Las Vegas, the earbuds will start shipping in the U.S. in a few months, and they come with a subscription to an iOS and Mac app. This app allows users to take voice notes or interact with an AI seamlessly, even when the iPhone is locked. Pre-orders are available on Subtle’s website, where the earbuds can be found in black and white.
The earbuds are set to compete with AI-driven dictation applications like Wispr Flow and Willow. According to Subtle, these earbuds are expected to reduce transcription errors significantly, boasting five times fewer mistakes than the AirPods Pro 3 paired with OpenAI’s transcription model. In a recent demo, the earbuds effectively captured audio and transcribed voice notes in a noisy environment, even picking up whispers accurately.
Tyler Chen, Subtle’s co-founder and CEO, mentioned how the use of voice as a primary interface is becoming more popular. “You can do much more naturally with voice than with a keyboard. However, it’s rarely used in public settings,” he explained. By employing their noise isolation technology, they aim to enable a more convenient voice interface for users.
Last year, other tech firms launched rings for note-taking, but Chen points out that their earbuds consolidate various functions—dictation, AI chatting, and voice notes—into one device.
The company has raised $6 million in funding and is already collaborating with brands like Qualcomm to enhance its noise isolation capabilities.