A new set of wireless earbuds aims to make voice the primary way people interact with devices, even in noisy surroundings.
Subtle, a voice AI startup known for its noise isolation technology, has launched its first pair of wireless earbuds designed to deliver clear call quality and accurate voice transcription. The earbuds were unveiled ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and are expected to ship in the United States in the coming months.
Priced at 199 dollars, the earbuds will include a 1 year subscription to Subtle’s iOS and Mac application. The app allows users to take voice notes or interact with AI using voice alone, without pressing any keys. The company said it uses a custom chip that can wake an iPhone even when the device is locked.
Subtle said the earbuds are built to help users sound clear during calls and create accurate transcriptions for voice notes, even in loud environments. The startup is positioning the product as an alternative to AI powered voice dictation tools such as Wispr Flow, Willow, Monologue and Superwhisper. It claims the earbuds can be used to dictate text in any app and deliver 5 times fewer transcription errors compared to AirPods Pro 3 used with OpenAI’s transcription model.
During a product demonstration observed by sources, the earbuds were able to capture audio clearly despite heavy background noise. They also successfully converted whispered speech into text when Subtle co-founder and chief executive officer Tyler Chen spoke softly.
“We are seeing that there is a huge move towards voice as a new interface that a lot of folks are adopting. You can do much more with voice in a natural way than with a keyboard. However, we saw that voice is rarely an interface people use when others are around. So that using our noise isolation model, we will give consumers a way to experience a voice interface in the form of our earbuds,” Chen said during a call with sources.
Chen added that while other companies have announced wearable products such as rings for note taking, Subtle wants to combine multiple functions into one solution. With its earbuds and app, the company aims to offer dictation, AI chat and voice notes in a single package.
The earbuds are available for pre order on Subtle’s website and will be sold in black and white colour options. Subtle has raised 6 million dollars in funding so far and has worked with companies such as Qualcomm and Nothing to deploy its noise isolation models.
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