Okay, so I ordered this from a link that said “no subscriptions.” Only to find that there is a $16 subscription.That said, the customer service was eventually helpful. I also recommend that they create a feature that automatically shuts the device off if it is idol for more than 2 mins. That would be helpful for the people that don’t want to pay $16/month.Another thing that would be helpful is to allow people to purchase minutes if they run out. There are currently only two sub models. Unlimited and free with 20 hrs/month.I can see how this would be a useful tool. I didn’t buy it for sporadic use, but I changed my review from 1 to 3 stars because the customer service was helpful. If they add those features, I’ll update the review again.It’s a great concept, but it was originally marketed with no sub and those videos and landing pages were still out there when I bought the device. It sounds like they plan to fix those landing pages.

I was eager to get my hands on the Omiai AI digital pendant, a $110 device designed to record important meetings and details. Which is something I needed in my fast paced industry, where I meet new people constantly. Initially, I was thrilled with the purchase, but my excitement quickly turned to frustration.The device itself is sleek and intuitive to set up, with a clean user interface and a built in app that summarizes conversations effectively. The key feature, transcription mode, converts conversations into text and distinguishes between speakers, which is useful but often inaccurate. In one-on-one meetings, it sometimes misidentifies me as multiple speakers, creating confusion.My biggest issue is the paywall for basic functionality. Out of the box, you can’t access recorded audio without a subscription to a developer app, which costs about $2 a month to import audio to Google Drive. Even then, the audio lacks time codes, forcing you to guess when recordings were made—sorting by date is a hassle and not a solution. Worse, the Omiai has a “Pro” version, undisclosed at purchase, that limits transcription minutes unless you pay an additional $20 a month for unlimited transcriptions. For a $110 device, this is outrageous after five months, you could buy another Omiai!It feels like Omiai targets developers, locking essential features behind paywalls. As tech reviewer Louis Rossmann might say, companies like this want you to “own nothing and be happy.” I’m disappointed and will wait for an open-source alternative that respects its users.

So, the ad said “no subscription.” The order page didn’t mention a subscription. Then, I get the device and for it to be useful it’s a $16 per month subscription. Without the subscription it eats up minutes super fast. I have currently used 38 minutes and it’s recognized a whole of 13 words. I turned the device off and it turned itself back on using more of the “free minutes.” So, I ask for a return the same day it was delivered. Says that I have 3 days to return it, which is a TERRIBLE return policy. That should have been a red flag. They know the device is primarily useless without paying $16 per month, so they make it impossible to return. Took them days to respond to a return request and they just gave me use cases, not a return label. Stay away from this company. If you bought the device, I’m sorry.

When it works, it’s good. The device constantly disconnects from the Wi-Fi and, therefore, is unable to perform its job. The only solution has been to have the app on top all the time, which means it’s mostly useless to me at this time. I had the Bee AI and was spoiled with how well it worked. The Bee AI had its own issues, but it didn't require the babysitting this app required.