Note: This blog post is focused on the Android versions of the apps. The review was based on The Bee App while it was active during the period April – July. As of the end of August 2025, Bee decided to take the Android app offline for “updates”.
Update 9/4/2025: Bee announced they are officially acquired by Amazon and is now recognized as an Amazon subsidiary. Please check the post for Privacy updates.
Being a creative means that I always have ideas with no reasonable way to capture them. Sure, I have a notepad, a phone, a laptop, but most of these ideas are gone by the time I open up a device or book. That’s not the only thing; there are times when I would literally say “note to self” out loud, mostly to memorize the importance of the moment. All I need is a small spark, and that can lead to the next best idea… or one I can let cook for a bit. But honestly, while speaking it into existence is one thing, that’s no way to capture it. So, when I saw the Bee Pioneer and how it worked in practice, I decided to purchase one. It was April 2025 when I decided to jump in and start using it in daily practice. I found it extremely useful, even though it was very limited due to the Android app being in development. At the time I purchased it, it was a product where the creators said it was in early development, and I was giving feedback because I wanted the Bee to become the best product it could be, and I was willing to financially support it… as long as they stayed independent.
Sadly, on July 22, Bee announced it was acquired by Amazon. Even though nothing has changed yet, I decided that it was time to find an alternative. I could go into the many things I find wrong with Amazon, as well as my distaste for big tech, but this isn’t that article. While I’m thankful for Bee for introducing me to the world of AI Note Takers and assistants that are powered by those notes, they are not the only game in town. And that’s where Fieldy comes in.
In this lengthy review, I will be comparing The Fieldy Pendant to the Bee Pioneer. Let’s go over a few caveats before I do so: I only ever own Android devices. Since Bee underdeveloped the Android app (with the current version being 1.0.3, which was released July 29th with very little functional change), I will tell you right now that Fieldy will have an unfair advantage in this review, especially since a few things have happened with both companies during the development of this blog post.
Aside: I started writing this review in mid-August with plans to publish it after one solid month of use. However, a few things happened that made me have to update this blog post a few times. At the end of the month, I received an email from Bee saying that the Android app was temporarily unavailable for Android users. When I looked to see if it was still available for download, they downgraded it to 1.0.1, which was the initial release and it may not currently be active. They did say they are doing “upgrades,” so the article may or may not be relevant by the time those upgrades are done. I will have follow-ups to this article if things improve.
If being owned by Amazon doesn’t scare you (despite my examples stated), the Bee might still be a worthwhile device if you have an iPhone, since it’s an iPhone-first type of development and has features that aren’t available on the Android app. I’m reviewing this device as a typical end-user and will only talk about “out-of-box” features. And lastly, I will be comparing both devices and apps as released, meaning from the device itself to the support team behind it. Bee publicly released the device for iOS while keeping Android users in a beta out of the loop for the time being. If you’re looking for an iOS review of the app, this will suffice. While I will make mentions of iOS features of Bee, it will not affect the review.
There will be a scoring system for the following aspects:
- The Devices’ Form Factor
- Device Connection
- The Android Apps
- Transcripts
- Chat + Training
- Privacy
- Customer Support
- Overall Value
There will be an 8-point system. A full point for “Fully Functional,” a half point for “good enough, but needs improvement,” and zero for “it’s just not there at all.” While there will be a section about third-party developments/development, this is an end-user-focused review, so I won’t give it a point value.
If you prefer to just jump to the results, click here for the recap.
The Devices’ Form Factor
The Bee’s Customizable and Stylish Form Factor and Its Shortcomings
The Bee Pioneer is a pill-shaped transmitter that looks a bit like a Fitbit tracker, minus the screen. It can be worn around the wrist (with two provided silicone wristbands, a bright yellow and a neutral black) or on a black clip, which in turn can be worn anywhere from your shirt to your belt, or on a sling (which is how I usually place it). However, the quality of the build of both the clip and the wristbands, while acceptable, doesn’t secure the Pioneer enough. There were times when the device dropped off of the clip. Luckily for me, the times that it happened were pretty low-stakes.
The device itself features two microphone inputs and one button. Then there’s this small light indicator. When you press the button once, it will turn red to show that it’s not recording. (Which is odd because usually, a light is on when one IS recording.) When you press it again, the light is off, indicating it’s recording. If you hold down the button and speak, you’ll get access to Buzz, the AI Assistant. Just address Buzz as you would with any other AI assistant, and Buzz will talk to you. While we will talk about Buzz later, Buzz is what makes Bee unique from the competition. The one big disadvantage of using the Bee? You can’t turn it off. You can mute it to save battery (and trust me, this works), but you can’t switch it off, which can damage the light, as I learned while using it.
The Fieldy’s Pendant Take Is More Straightforward
Fieldy’s form factor is a pendant with an inconsistent name. In Fieldy’s own documentation, it can be referred to as “the Compass” or “Fieldy Pendant.” The company used to be “Compass,” so it’s reasonable that they are still transitioning their marketing material. Since it’s called “The Fieldy Pendant” in the app itself, that’s what I will call it. The pendant is a trapezoid shape, with a loop on the top, holding a carabiner and branding on the back. On the front is a slightly bigger LCD light, which is on the bottom right corner and a mic off-center. There is a button that can control the pendant by turning it on and off or resetting the device if you long-press it. The button can be customized to start a new conversation if you double-click, but that’s the only customization you can do for now. The LCD light has other functions as well, but it’s best to reference the light guide. The LCD light, by the way, can be turned off if you like. However, when compared to the Bee, there is no dedicated access to an AI assistant. You can only mute the device via the app. The device only has one form factor, which is you can wear it as a pendant. The small carabiner can attach it to other things, however. While there’s only one microphone, it captures audio pretty well.
Winner: Fieldy’s Unassuming Form Helps
While both form factors are unique, they are not rated sweatproof or waterproof. During my runs with both devices, I didn’t really have a problem with them when it comes to rainy days. But then again, I do keep them tucked away and I’m totally mindful of them before any big meetings. However, if I have to choose which form factor I like, Fieldy’s wins, but only because it feels sturdier and I like the idea of having it around my neck. It feels more secure that way. Bee’s form factor, while versatile, is a bit loose. I lost the device a few times while Fieldy’s stayed on my neck to the point that I forget it’s there sometimes.
The Bee Pioneer does have better battery life than The Fieldy Pendent (6-7 days vs. 2-3 days), but seeing that Fieldy does a lot more on the Pendent side than Bee’s Pioneer, I’m willing to still give it a full point despite having to charge it more.
Fieldy: 1 (More solid, better microphone, feels a bit more premium.)
Bee: .5 (More ways to wear it, Buzz access. Looks a bit like a toy, especially with the loud yellow band.)
Device Connection
Bee’s Connection is Hard to Top…
I have used Bee longer than Fieldy (April to August), and the connection from the device to my phone rarely drops. In fact, the only time it does drop is when I’m out of the phone’s range. Meanwhile, while using Fieldy, there are times when the connection drops and I can’t tell you why. I will have the phone on me at all times and have to monitor the Fieldy more times than the Bee.
However, the Bee isn’t without its issues as well. The light within the Bee eventually burns out if you mute it. Since Bee has no way to be turned off, the burnout makes the Bee a little more like a shot in the dark if you don’t use the app to see the current status.
But Fieldy’s Got One Feature That the Bee Doesn’t
During the weekend of August 30th, Fieldy released a firmware update for offline recording for the current generation of The Fieldy Pendant. I was able to access this feature and I will say this puts it miles ahead of the Bee Pioneer. When the Fieldy Pendant is not connected to the phone (and as long as you remember to unmute the device while it’s connected), The Fieldy Pendant will record up to three hours of audio. Once you’re reconnected to the phone, it will upload the audio, transcribe it and delete the audio recordings. The firmware update also introduced the customized button, and different LCD light patterns.
I’ll admit that offline recording is a big feature. However, the biggest problem is that while the latest firmware also gave the Fieldy pendant a better Bluetooth management, the connection still drops from time to time. You probably won’t lose recordings, but if you don’t consciously remember to reconnect the device, you’ll lose anything beyond the three hours. But at least you’ll be checking for the connection less as The Fieldy Pendant is the first of its kind to work without your phone for up to three hours.
Winner: Fieldy (With The Offline Recording in Time)
So for device connection, the Bee gets .5. The Bee’s connection is solid, but the hardware light makes the app your default way of knowing anything. The Fieldy Pendant, on the other hand, is more solid with offline recording, making it the first device of its kind that can allow you to put your phone away. After wrestling with the offline recording for a few days, it was a .5 before it got it, but now it’s a solid 1.
Fieldy: 1 (Offline recording makes it more reliable. It has improved Bluetooth connection, but you still need to double check the app.)
Bee: .5 (Connection is solid, but light burnouts make it difficult to use without an app.)
The Android Apps
The Bee App Doesn’t Shine on Android… On Purpose
Bee’s (underdeveloped and now temporarily offline) Android app main dashboard consists of three main sections: To-Dos, Daily Memories, and Recent Conversations. On the top is the current connection status of your Bee Pioneer and the ability to mute and unmute it. The Bee logo does nothing; the initial screen sends you to the settings.
If you’re recording, you will see the active conversation, which you can end if you long-press on the conversation and then press “end.” Otherwise, if you mute the mic or there isn’t anything that the mic can pick up after a certain amount of time, it will save the conversation automatically and make a new one. However, the “certain amount of time” varies, and sometimes, you’ll have 3-4 hour conversations that don’t necessarily need to be together.
Clicking on the To-Do list, you will see generated to-dos based on conversations. You can do one action: add the to-do to an internal list. If you see something you want to delete, well, you can’t do it. There is a way to delete it, but you’ll end up deleting all the suggestions. The only way to edit any of the to-dos is to add them to the list and re-edit them.
The Daily Memories section is where all the conversations you have are compiled at 8 PM local time and you’ll get a daily summary with key takeaways and the atmosphere of the day. While this can be a good way to review your day, the problem with the 8 PM wrap-up is that any conversations that take place after 8 PM will be included in the next day’s summary… which is a little odd if your day ends after 8 PM.
The conversations are also summarized in the same way as your daily summaries, with each conversation featuring a summary, atmosphere, key takeaways, and action items if they are relevant. And then, you’re presented with transcripts of the conversations.
The iOS app has more features such as fact reviews and tagging speakers. The iOS app seems to be more functional with location tagging with suggested links. This video shows what it can do on the iOS app. So hopefully, the Android app can catch up.
The overall vibe is light and bright, with colors throughout the app… which makes it really difficult to use at night.
Aside: This review is based on Bee AI App 1.0.3. It’s currently rolled back to 1.0.1 and offline in the Google Play Store..
Fieldy’s App is Prime-Time Ready
Fieldy’s app is more polished. Upon opening the app, you’ll jump into the home section. There, you’ll be able to scroll through today’s conversations as well as the current conversation being recorded. You will be presented with a summary of the conversations so far in the day. Compared to Bee, it will be very brief, but it’s also dynamic as it changes based on new conversations, so by the end of a regular 24-hour period, you’ll have a brief that reads out about your day.
You are able to pause the live feed as well as see a steady wave-like pattern as it collects data. You can always start a new conversation if you like by pressing the “New Conversation” button. Unlike Bee, Fieldy will spawn a new one automatically if it doesn’t detect anything for 10 minutes and it’s easier to break up the conversations manually. Also, if it barely picks up any relevant information, let’s say filler sounds that don’t make sense, it will save it as a “mini-conversation” where it will record the little that you said and move on to a new conversation. It won’t even get a summary.
When it does make summaries, it will display the summary based on the type of conversation using templates. There are 12 general options ranging from Casual (just friends talking) to business (BANT, networking notes) to even Medical notes and Brainstorming. So the summaries will be different based on the context captured. It will also highlight important parts of the transcript as well as ask an insightful question, along with the location of where the transcript was captured. You’ll be able to share that conversation if you like, or if you think the summary isn’t to your liking, you can change the summary to something else. But what if you wish you could organize it based on the things you deemed important? Well, along with general summaries, you are able to create custom templates.
Let’s say you’re doing a therapy session and you want to highlight key topics discussed, your feelings and emotions, and action items. You can type in exactly how you want to tune the summary and then apply it. After a while, when Fieldy notices the same conditions, it will apply the new template you customized. You can edit and delete the templates at any time. You can also rename the conversations if you need to.
You can search for past conversations by using the spyglass search, or the calendar, or scroll to the left for the previous days’ summary and conversations.
The bottom buttons take you to tasks, where you will immediately be taken to a swipe interface to deal with tasks. You swipe left to reject, right to accept. You can also close the swiping interface and jump straight to the tasks, where you’re welcome to review the generated tasks, see the completed ones, or the canceled ones. Reminders that are missed deadlines by more than 7 days will be automatically canceled, which you can disable if you like.
Then there’s the chat button (more on this later) and settings, where you can see what subscription you’re on, support, integrations with Google Tasks and Calendar and Outlook Calendar, as well as task settings. The button on the top right is the connection to your device and you’ll be able to mute your device, set the always-on LED light off, set what the action button can do, and firmware updates. Of course, it will always show you the battery life and the Bluetooth connection.
The app’s overall vibe is pretty much dark, with the device settings and the summaries having a light background. So, not really a “true dark mode” as the conversations are always in a white bubble, but the app is consistent with the iOS app.
Winner: Fieldy for being Up-to-Date and Current
In presentation and usefulness, Fieldy is pretty useful and gives you more control over your summaries than Bee ever does… at least on the Android side. There is a way to control Bee from a web browser that runs circles around its current Android app. However, that requires another type of setup, so since it’s not related to “out of the box”, I will skip that option.
During my one month with Fieldy, the app was updated a few times and it’s currently on version 2.1. It was version 1.8 when I first started to use it. There was also 2 firmware updates during the month, which included the “Offline Recording” feature. So, app support is there, unlike Bee’s Android support, which hardly exists now.
Aside: In addition to all this, Fieldy recently released a Mac OS and Windows Native version of the Fieldy App over the course of a week during the last week of August. The Windows App, when compared to Android App, is basically barebones, with searchable conversations and the ability to tag them, something that is present in the Android app. It also has the ability to record conversations from the desktop without the device. However, the app is missing a few features and I don’t want to fully go into it within this blog post as I delayed this post several times due to Fieldy’s aggressive rollout of features. Probably for the best because the desktop apps are still in beta.
On app support, Fieldy gets a solid 1 point, while Bee gets, sadly, no points for the Android app.
Fieldy: 1 (App development and improvement is one of Fieldy’s strongest advantages.)
Bee: 0 (App development on Android is stagnant and potentially inactive at the moment, leaving Android users hungry for even basic things.)
Transcripts
No matter how well-designed an app is, if it’s not going to transcribe well, then what’s the point of an AI Note Taker? So, now we’re going to go one-on-one with how well it can transcribe. Before we get into this, I will say that no app can capture every word perfectly. I’m not defending either app, it’s just that unless you and other speakers speak perfectly in every situation, you’re not always going to get it right. It can get as much as possible and guess the context around it. So, if it hears audio repeating, it will likely think it’s a media program (but it can’t tell what it is unless you clarify). Another thing is that both apps require the Internet to be active for transcribing to work, otherwise, it may drop the ball on the conversation. And even then, there may be “blackout” periods where it won’t capture anything because the services are down.
But with that said…
The Bee Can At Times Create Fan-Fiction
Bee captures and transcribes sloppily. Sometimes, it will capture things another speaker said and think that I said it. Other times, it will capture what we said together within one speaker. With this Android version, there are always two speakers: me (once the voice is trained properly) and “Unknown.” And unless “Unknown’s” name is spoken either by them or me addressing them at some point, we don’t know who “Unknown” is. But that doesn’t stop Bee from taking a guess and adding it to the summary. It gets it right sometimes. Other times, it missed the mark. But during the last few days of me using Bee, it not only got it wrong, it also got it backwards. Like literally. There are times when the transcripts doubled the amount and the chronological order is reversed, making it hard to follow. Which makes the last few daily summaries tell a strange story that didn’t happen at all.
Fieldy Breaks Up Conversations Reasonably, But Sounds Kinda Off… Literally.
Meanwhile, on Fieldy’s side, it can recognize up to six different people, making the transcripts a bit easier to read. It also does something that Bee doesn’t; it recognizes sound and adds it to the transcripts, so if a glass drops, it will note that. While this is good… it can also be a little bit worrisome, as sometimes it will say strange things. For example, one time it transcribed a sound as a “gun cocked sound,” which is odd because I didn’t have a gun nor made a gun sound during a monologue I was recording.
While there are times when it has the “mini-conversations” where nothing of importance was said, there were times when the conversation at the beginning wasn’t captured for one reason or another. (It could be that the connection dropped, but during the times I noticed it was fine). The transcripts do capture the most important things and I do feel like it’s more complete. But then again, my day-to-day is more random as a freelancer vs. someone who’s in the office all the time.
No Clear Winner Here
So, who do I give the whole point to? Surprisingly, no one. Fieldy could do a better job at capturing things, and it does capture a lot. In fact, it managed to overhear conversations in noisy situations where I accidentally captured other people speaking to each other and with enough context to deduce what it was about. (I even have a summary for it called “Overheard Conversations,” which I keep for my own amusement or writing prompts. Don’t worry… I don’t know who is who anyway.) Fieldy doesn’t always capture everything, and sometimes it would produce weird sounds, doesn’t pick up the other person if they are soft-spoken, or even “censored” things at times.
Also, Bee’s fumbling of transcripts during the last days of me using it doesn’t really help here. Even when it was doing the job flawlessly, it’s no better than Fieldy at times. Another thing both fumble on? I would be reflecting out loud at times and sometimes, it thinks I’m two different people, no matter which app. This is the fault of the short onboarding voice training session, but at the same time, it’s a little annoying that both apps would think of me as three different people at times.
So, both will get .5. It’s usable, but could be way better.
Fieldy: .5 (Transcripts are slightly better with better marking. However, it doesn’t always capture the whole conversation.)
Bee: .5 (Transcripts are a hit-and-miss at times. During the last few days, it’s been really messy.)
Chat + Training
Both apps use AI to understand what is going on. But it must do so in the context of you. And in order for it to understand you, it needs to know what something means to you. As time goes on, the AI will get better at recognizing patterns. But which one can do it better? Which one is a joy to use?
Buzz Stands Out, Even if it’s Two-Minded
Bee’s AI, Buzz (it’s the default name. You can actually change the name to something else, as well as the voice) is not only a transcriber, but a personal AI. It will learn about you through transcripts, but you can also talk to it to verify certain details about you. It will even proactively go out and search for things to help put it in context for you, making it handy for those times when you need it to know the difference between two similar-sounding concepts.
You can access Buzz via the Chat button within the app and it will open the chat and behave similar to other chatbots online, complete with its own “Channels” where different sessions show different conversations. You can ask it to review your week, see how your work-life balance is, or any other important questions. You can even ask “who I am” and it will give you a breakdown of what it knows about you.
The second option as far as chat is you can use the button on your Bee Pioneer as a “push-to-talk” type. In theory, it is supposed to talk and answer you via voice about any question, no matter what it is. In practice, however (at least on Android), you need to make sure the app is open so it knows you’re talking to it. Sometimes, it works, sometimes, it takes a while. Sometimes, it doesn’t. But none of those times will be saved to your chat history. Also, it feels like you’re talking to another person at times, because the chat bot you’re talking to on the app and the chat bot you’re addressing via voice seem to use two different systems that sometimes don’t talk to one another in real time. So, what you asked for in chat in one form may not appear in another. It’s an odd thing, for real.
The second option is so clunky that I barely use it. While the first option lacks a voice, it does a better job.
Fieldy’s Chat is No Frills, No Nonsense AI Diary Keeper
Fieldy’s chat is more straight to the point and bland. It doesn’t offer a voice assistant nor does it have a voice. It also doesn’t offer separate chat sessions. It’s one long text message, with no way of deleting previous messages. However, it does offer a way to copy and paste as well as voting up and down the responses. The answers are a lot more “robotic” than the personal answers from Bee.
In the summaries, you can reply to insights or talk about anything within it so that you’ll be able to get more direct answers as well as train the AI so that it understands your needs better.
Unlike Bee, which will proactively tie things together, Fieldy won’t actively search for context without your permission. It will use its own understandings within the app to provide context and ask you to follow up. Can this be a positive? It can be if you don’t want it to assume based on false information on the web and the information it does know is only current up to a certain point (when I asked it, it disclosed it only knows things up to June 2024). So, you pretty much have to fill in the blanks. Whether or not that is something you like is up to you.
The AI For Both Are Flawed
So, which one does it better? You have to train the apps through text and confirm data that you know for sure won’t change. But there are two major differences between Bee and Fieldy; Fieldy’s blank slate does give it a slight advantage. Bee keeps messing up one detail over and over again… my pronouns. My first name, which I asked Bee to call me by, in the United States is a woman’s name and despite my consistent training and telling Bee that I am in fact born a male and use the pronouns he/him, it made the mistake of misgendering me so many times that it got annoying. People made all sorts of suggestions to fix this, and while Bee may make the mistake during summaries, it doesn’t during chats.
Aside: Recently, Fieldy started to misgender me as well. It managed to do fine for the first few weeks, but now, because I go back and forth between a few names, it keeps misgendering me. I blame the training models for this. AI is still in its early, wonky stage and growing pains. Sometimes, AI is like talking to a child that knows everything and nothing at the same time.
The other difference is that Buzz, for all the grief it gives me, calls me by my name in the transcripts. Fieldy keeps referring to me as “The user”, which feels more cold and impersonal, especially since it knows my name.
It’s a .5. They are both useful enough in their own ways, but could be tuned to be better.
Fieldy: .5 (Robotic-like, clean slate memory that doesn’t assume most of the time.)
Bee: .5 (Useful and more personal, but does make more mistakes thanks to the inconsistent engines.)
Privacy
This is going to be a straightforward and no-nonsense answer. No company is 100% private, but you want to make sure that if you’re handling privileged data, the company shouldn’t be making any money off it (or worse) while it’s in their care. It should also not be exposed to its employees or they have the ability to hand it over to just anyone.
With that being said, if you believe that you should have total control over your own data and no one should have access to it at any price, then it’s best to roll out your own solution and find a way to be able to host it, along with LLMs that you control and make sure that the data can’t be used on the Internet. But that may not be possible (or cheap), so this is why we probably want to use this method instead. But we need a privacy policy that is reasonable enough that we know the data is safe.
The Misconception of Audio Recorders
The first thing you need to understand about these devices is that they are not “audio recorders” as they don’t store audio* (It stores audio on the Fieldy Pendant, but it deletes it upon uploading and transcribing and you can delete that audio if you really need to before it reaches the app). They are live transcribers, listening to the audio as it happens and transforming it to text in almost real-time, and then using that text to create context alongside a database of what that context means to you. Your doing a “Target run” may mean going to a store called Target or a shooting range. The context of what you mean by that is stored within the program. Will that information be used to train an AI model? It’s a bunch of loaded questions and we need to determine who will protect the data.
Bee is a Privacy-First Company… for the moment.
Bee’s privacy policy (for now) looks like this: https://bee-computer.notion.site/privacy-security#2374fd68f24e80d3bafed4955964837f
In brief, they have a privacy-first architecture, which means they can’t share your data with third parties, use it in AI model training, or sell it. So, if that’s the case, and they said it in their privacy policy, why is this important to me?
Because this isn’t a “privacy policy.” This is an FAQ (not even hosted on their main site) about what privacy means to them. Their real privacy policy is this: https://www.bee.computer/privacy#inforetain and https://www.bee.computer/terms
And while most of it matches up, there are some inconsistencies.
For example, while they did promise that your data can be deleted, your biometric data (voice prints) can be stored for up to three years after account termination. Why was this detail included? No one knows.
Fieldy’s Pitch as a Privacy Advocate is a Feature
Fieldy’s on the other hand is not only a lot easier to read: https://www.fieldy.ai/policy/terms-of-services
https://www.fieldy.ai/policy/privacy-policy
They go a step beyond and say that they are HIPAA-compliant. But they don’t just say it, there’s a third-party independent review: https://trust.delve.co/fieldy
HIPAA-Compliant basically means that they are trusted by hospitals. And unlike Bee, which is used in North America, Fieldy’s audience is worldwide. So, they also have to comply with European laws as well as American ones, causing them to tighten up their privacy policies.
Fieldy’s Privacy First Approach is Appreciated, Especially With Bee’s Lack of Direction
So, while Bee’s privacy policy is there and they are a privacy-first company, let’s also talk about the elephant in the room: Amazon. A company that not only tramples on customers’ rights and a monopoly that can take out small businesses, it also helps and encourages the surveillance state. While buyouts are common, Amazon’s plans for Bee could wipe away their privacy policy the moment the deal is finalized and the transition begins. Or, they probably will maintain their own identity, only getting resources to make their product better and eventually becoming part of Amazon’s family of ongoing products. But from the way customer service is currently acting, it can be a “zombie tech product”… a niche product being kept alive to be stripped and eventually killed off.
Fieldy has mentioned it will plan to stay independent, though there is no official record from the company itself. However, Fieldy is running the business in a way that Bee currently isn’t and we will look at that in the next section.
So, as far as privacy, a full point for Fieldy for standing 10 toes on business. Bee, as of now, will get a .5. As much as I want to give them a zero, I can’t do it based on the fact that they are in transition and there are no solid plans as of yet on next steps.
Fieldy: 1 (Solid HIPAA-compliance. While they don’t explicitly state every detail, it’s trustworthy. Consistent privacy readout.)
Bee: .5 (Inconsistent privacy readouts via three different separate pages. A deal with Amazon, a known privacy-risk company, can potentially make their original privacy stance worthless in the future.)
Customer Support
Lastly, let’s talk about customer support. Customer support includes onboarding, app updates, long-term support, and reasonable support based on what you’re purchasing.
Bee Team: Where Are You?
Bee’s customer support is almost non-existent. They show a lot of love to their iOS version, while the Android version is basically just an app that is held together by hopes and dreams. The one time I sent them an email, they answered 3 days later, and then never again. Their social media channels haven’t been updated since the Amazon announcement. Even their Discord outlet is dead silent when it comes to official members, but their fans are still talking about bugs and trying to figure out the next thing. Maria, one of the co-founders of Bee, did like my chat about one thing: a link to how to back up the Bee data. Yikes. The team members, for the most part, are busy doing something. Maybe it might come back to life when they get a restock of Pioneers that is supposed to hit in September. Maybe. We don’t know. All I know is that when there’s a problem with the Android app, they would rather downgrade the app than upgrade it.
Fieldy: Developers First, Marketers and Customer Support… Thirdish…
Fieldy, on the other hand, feels like they underdeliver. The on-site support is a hit-or-miss and there seem to be only two people on that support channel. As I got deeper into it, it seems that they are “non-urgent” support and their real support for real-time is in an under-advertised WhatsApp group. How did I find this group? It’s via their app. The group is active and the team members do answer and probe their users, using feedback to improve the product. It’s okay support, but not GREAT. Considering that the members of the team are actually answering that and emails, even if there is a delay, is much better than the zero response from the Bee team.
Fieldy’s support needs to be improved, especially with mission-critical updates. When compared to the Bee, it feels like at least the Fieldy team cares about their customers. Fieldy’s app development already got 1 point. But their support gets .5 because it needs improvement, especially their marketing, which can be very aggressive. Bee gets nothing.
Fieldy: .5 (Small team of developers that thinks about the product first, but can’t seem to bother with timely customer service.)
Bee: 0 (For all the missteps Fieldy has in customer support, it’s still better than the spotty support.)
Developer’s Tools: For What It’s Worth
It’s your data, so it’s only fair you get to use it any way you want. Both companies are only offering to store your data, and they have developed ways to interact with that data. But what if you’re interested in more? Is it possible?
With the Bee App and Buzz, you’ll have access to an API code, which in turn, allows you to interact with that data. It’s as simple as creating an Apple login (making sure you’re using the same email address as your Bee account) and creating an API key. One example of the API + web apps working together is a Buzz interface for the web, and you can use that to interact with Buzz if you don’t want to do it from your phone. And if you have an Android app, you’ll be able to access areas of the app that aren’t included with the Android app in the first place!
Fieldy, on the other hand, uses a different type of interface called webhooks, which will send an unencrypted version of a transcription once it’s completed to where you place the hook. Webhooks are simpler to use, but it can only be used on transcripts once it’s finished. It can’t recall transcripts or use other points of data, unlike Bee which can pretty much give you access to almost all of Bee’s data manipulation.
Fieldy’s might be easier for me to handle as all I might want is a backup of transcripts every time one is done to maybe a personal cloud space, but the feature is experimental, so it may not work all the time. Bee’s a bit more advanced, but documentation is plentiful and it does give you more access.
There will be no point values assigned to this since I am not a developer nor care much about this feature.
Overall Value
Our last point is value: does the investment match the value of the product?
Bee’s Initial Investment Comes With Uncertainty
Bee’s investment is $50 and… for now that’s it. For $50, you can get a Bee Pioneer… in September… and start using it on your device. There are no monthly subscriptions as of this post.
Wait, it’s $50 and that’s it?
Yeah. It’s a publicly released product (for iOS) and for now, while there are plans to have subscriptions for premium services, there are none to talk about.
The Bee’s business model, at this price point, feels like an unsustainable, fun experiment. When I bought it, I knew about the app’s shortcomings, but I believed in the team and their mission to stay independent. I was ready to subscribe to a premium plan to support that vision. Now, that option feels like a moot point. When you’re using the AI, you’re not using Bee’s AI, you’re actually renting AI from other companies that will temporarily interact with Bee’s AI and then drop the computing power. So, it’s costly to run all that, all the time since the AI is used to transcribe, make the summaries, create the context database, hold that data, and understand that data every time it’s called upon. When you think of it like that, it’s probably putting the Bee team in the red!
Also, the form factor itself is easy to lose if you’re not careful and the light is easy to lose power to. So, while it’s a nice life-changing device, it’s also worth going the extra mile to protect by fortifying it with a customized way of making sure it can stay on you. Sadly, this requires you to create your own solution.
Fieldy Has Better Start-Up Ambitions
Fieldy doesn’t make the same mistake. They have a free tier, which includes 150 minutes of transcribing a month and most of the features such as location tagging, speaker ID, Smart Reminders, and Event auto-transcribing (this is when you hook up your calendar and it will attach the transcript to that event).
If you pay $12.99/month for occasional use, you’ll get the AI Chat, customizable templates, and transcribe export, with 1440 minutes of use (that’s one day of full use).
If you pay $19.99/month, you’ll be able to use it unlimited time with “Priority support,” which is direct access to the Developers in the WhatsApp Group. Not the most practical type of support (Developers can sometimes be hard to talk to), but being in direct contact with a team member beats no contact at all. You can also pay for annual subscriptions, which will in turn lower the cost.
The initial cost for a Pendant is $149, but you may be able to get it on sale, and you can save $30 off if you use my code (by using my code, I’ll get credit to pay for my subscription.)
https://get.fieldy.ai/discount/NE6RXRQF33?redirect=/products/fieldy-1
Aside: Fieldy does device refreshes. The Fiedy pendant I currently own is the 3rd generation and they are currently working on a fourth generation. They promise to keep the current generation up-to-date and they will offer discounts to upgrade if you need to. Currently, they plan on supporting the current model for as long as possible. So, you’ll also have to factor hardware upgrades at maybe every 2 years.
So, while Fieldy does have its initial cost, it’s realistically more sustainable.
Bee’s Barely Worth It Nowadays, but Fieldy Needs Work
While Bee’s value points get a zero, Fieldy doesn’t really get a solid 1. It’s true, they are most likely to stick around and be independent, but they still need to fix their marketing and support team. So, they get .5 for this.
Fieldy: .5 (It’s more expensive than Bee, but they are sustainable from the get-go.)
Bee: 0 ($50 was a fun experiment, but this isn’t fun anymore.)
Recap
| Category | Fieldy Score | Bee Score |
|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | 1 | 0.5 |
| Connection | 1 | 0.5 |
| Android Apps | 1 | 0 |
| Transcripts | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Chat + Training | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.5 |
| Customer Support | 0.5 | 0 |
| Overall Value | 0.5 | 0 |
| Total | 6 | 2.5 |
Out of 8 possible points, Fieldy managed to snag 6 points while Bee only managed to get 2.5 points at most, and all of them were half points from having an okay form factor, a connection to the app that can beat Fieldy but not without weird problems with the light, a two-headed chat experience, and a privacy policy that is iffy at the moment.
Fieldy beats it in other areas (especially with the offline recording), and gains points, but ties with Bee in certain areas. And in areas where it did beat the Bee, it could have done better. If this battle was a boxing match, Fieldy would have come out a winner, but it would have probably looked sloppy doing so.
Overall, while Fieldy is the better of the two because the Bee is a good product with a lot of missteps while Fieldy has a solid development team, but a subpar marketing team and support channel. The only reason I’m using them is because I can see the potential of the device and how it can help people not only be more productive, but also better at helping them recall. So, I see the value that Fieldy is selling and would use it over Bee. It might be a while before they can figure out their marketing and support, but when they do, they will probably be a force to be reckoned with. And maybe one day, they can go 8 rounds with another party and come out a clear winner.
While Fieldy may have its own quirks, it’s a company with a clear and sustainable business model, a dedicated team, and a public commitment to independence. In contrast, my experience with Bee, once a promising alternative, has become a cautionary tale about a low-cost, low-subscription model and the ultimate risk of losing a company to a larger entity. The decision to switch to Fieldy wasn’t just about finding a better product; it was about finding a company I could still believe in. I just hope I can publish this post before they make ANOTHER update.
If you would like to support my work and you’re thinking about getting a fieldy, please use my link: https://get.fieldy.ai/discount/NE6RXRQF33?redirect=/products/fieldy-1
You’ll get a $30 discount and you’ll give me a break from paying the monthly fee.
Leave a Reply