At IFA 2025, viaim, the AI hardware innovator known for intelligent, human-centred products, announced the global debut of its latest breakthrough: the viaim OpenNote Earbuds. Positioned as more than just audio accessories, these new over-the-ear earbuds combine premium design, long-wear comfort, and AI-driven productivity tools to support users at work, at play, and everywhere in between.
With OpenNote, viaim is expanding its portfolio of AI-powered audio products, first introduced at CES earlier this year, and building towards a complete ecosystem of devices that turn conversations into clear, actionable insights.
A Complete AI Audio Ecosystem
OpenNote is the third major release in viaim’s growing family of AI productivity devices. The viaim RecDot, launched at CES 2025, brought studio-quality recording and AI-powered meeting transcription to professionals. Soon after, the viaim NoteKit, a compact USB device, offered portable transcription and note management for laptop users.
With the addition of OpenNote, viaim now covers the full spectrum of audio productivity needs — from boardroom meetings to daily commutes. Unlike traditional earbuds focused solely on entertainment, OpenNote blends lifestyle and productivity. Its open-ear, over-the-ear design is crafted from aerospace-grade memory titanium, ensuring a secure yet lightweight fit for all-day use without fatigue. The discreet look also makes it equally at home in offices, cafés, gyms, or long-haul flights.
Shawn Ma, CEO of viaim, describes OpenNote as “more than just earbuds, a productivity partner, creative collaborator, and style statement in one.” This philosophy positions OpenNote as a bridge between work and personal life, a tool designed to adapt to the multiple roles modern professionals inhabit.
Smarter Recording with FlashRecord and AI
At the heart of OpenNote lies FlashRecord, a feature that allows users to start recording instantly with a single long press — no apps, pairing, or complex setup required. OpenNote supports three distinct recording modes:
Live Recording: Captures conversations, interviews, or meetings with clarity up to 7 metres away.
Phone Call Recording: Through the viaim desktop app, users can save calls from Google Meet, Zoom, Teams, and Webex in real time.
Audio/Video Recording: Provides high-quality capture from online sources such as podcasts, lectures, or video tutorials.
The recordings are powered by real-time AI transcription and formatting, which doesn’t just transcribe but also extracts action items, summarises discussions, and condenses hours into digestible notes. For international teams, the earbuds support real-time speech-to-text translation in 21 languages, making them highly practical for global collaboration.
This combination of hardware and AI creates a seamless capture-to-action workflow, setting OpenNote apart from both standard earbuds and standalone transcription apps.
Premium Sound Meets All-Day Endurance
While productivity is central to OpenNote, sound quality has not been sacrificed. Each earbud houses an 18×11mm High-Polymer Racetrack Speaker Unit, certified with Hi-Res Small Gold Label and LHDC ultra-HD transmission. Users can select from 18 preset sound profiles — such as Balance, Bass Boost, Treble Boost, and Podcast Mode — or fine-tune with an 8-band equaliser.
Gamers also benefit from a dedicated Game Mode, which reduces latency and optimises sound for first-person shooters such as PUBG, ensuring immersive and responsive play.
Battery life is another standout feature. OpenNote provides up to 19 hours of listening on a single charge and extends to 53 hours with the charging case. A 10-minute quick charge delivers an additional 3 hours of playback — perfect for busy users who are always on the move.
The earbuds also support dual-device connectivity, allowing seamless switching between, for example, a laptop and a smartphone. This makes it easy to transition from work calls to personal music without manual re-pairing.
Expanding the viaim Portfolio
Alongside the OpenNote announcement, viaim showcased its other flagship products at IFA 2025:
viaim RecDot: Professional-grade recording earphones offering active noise cancellation, a bone-conduction microphone, and studio-level sound capture for precise meeting notes.
viaim NoteKit: A pen-sized AI recorder that plugs into USB-A or USB-C ports, automatically launching its companion desktop app for the same recording and transcription modes featured in OpenNote.
Together, these devices create a unified AI productivity ecosystem that helps professionals stay organised and efficient across different contexts. Whether it’s an executive recording meetings, a student capturing lectures, or a content creator managing ideas on the go, viaim provides tools tailored for every setting.
Availability and Pricing
The viaim OpenNote is available online at viaim.ai and Amazon, priced at $219. The viaim RecDot retails for $249, while the viaim NoteKit is priced at $149 or available in a bundle with RecDot for $398. OpenNote will also be showcased live at IFA 2025 at viaim’s booth H11.2 107, where visitors can try the earbuds firsthand.
As AI continues to reshape how we work and live, viaim is positioning itself as a leader in human-centred AI hardware building products that don’t just entertain but actively help people manage their lives more effectively. With OpenNote, the company has created earbuds that are not just about listening but about thinking, recording, and organising smarter.
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