BLE AI Voice Recorder ODM with an SDK
For AI software companies that want a Bluetooth voice recorder under their own brand, connected to their own app and cloud.
There are three ways to get a BLE AI voice recorder with an SDK: white-label an existing device, customize an existing platform without new industrial or mechanical design, or run a full ODM program with a new design. GMIC designs and manufactures BLE and Wi-Fi voice capture devices for software companies, and supplies the firmware, SDK documentation and integration support that put the audio inside your product instead of someone else's app.
Who makes BLE AI voice recorders with an SDK?
Manufacturers of these devices fall into four groups. Each is strong in different areas, and the right one depends on your volume, how much the device needs to change, and how much engineering you want to own.
| Vendor type | Examples | Strong at | Check before you commit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer AI recorder brands | Clip-on and card-style AI note takers | Finished products with polished apps and AI features | Built around the vendor's own app and service. Whether you can use your brand or send audio to your backend depends on that vendor's business terms. |
| Large contract manufacturers (EMS) | Jabil, Flex | High-volume production, global supply chains | Typically need a finished design and large volumes; firmware, SDK and audio tuning are usually yours to supply. |
| General electronics factories | Factories offering stock designs on B2B marketplaces | Low unit prices on stock recorder designs | SDK depth, firmware ownership, security features and English-language engineering support vary widely between suppliers. |
| Voice-focused hardware ODM | GMIC | Existing BLE and Wi-Fi voice platforms, firmware, SDK/API integration, certification planning, production | Requires a volume commitment (around 500 units on an existing platform) and a development schedule. |
If you need a few hundred off-the-shelf recorders for your own team, buy finished products. If the device is part of the product you sell, choose a partner that will hand you the integration layer, not just the hardware.
When is GMIC not the right fit?
- Fewer than about 500 units and no plans to grow: finished consumer recorders cost less.
- You already have a finished, certified design and only need assembly capacity at very high volume: a large EMS is built for that.
What should the SDK cover?
A recorder with an SDK is only useful if the SDK covers the whole life of a recording, not just pairing. GMIC's SDK covers every item below, and these are the questions to ask any supplier:
- Pairing and reconnection between the device and your mobile app.
- Recording control: start, stop and status from the device button or from your app.
- File transfer and sync of recordings made while the phone was out of range, with retry when a transfer is interrupted.
- Device status: battery, storage, firmware version.
- OTA firmware updates pushed through your app or cloud.
- Device identity and authentication to your endpoint, so recordings come from devices you issued.
- Documentation and support for your developers during integration.
Beyond the SDK, GMIC configures recording logic, button and LED behavior, local storage, upload and retry, BLE and Wi-Fi behavior, OTA updates, power states and device authentication for each program, and supports your team through integration with your app, speech-to-text backend, AI platform or private server.
BLE only, or BLE plus Wi-Fi?
Bluetooth Low Energy is the right link for short notes sent through a phone app: it pairs easily and uses little power. Its bandwidth is limited, so long recordings take time to move over BLE. When users record for hours, or when audio should go straight to your cloud without a phone, add Wi-Fi.
| Starting platform | Connectivity | Storage | Runtime | Weight | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIC01 | Bluetooth 5.3, up to 10 m | 128 MB | Up to 8 hours | 8.8 g | Push-to-talk, 45 × 19 × 19.5 mm, single mic (dual optional) |
| MIC05 | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n + Bluetooth 5.3 | 1 GB | Up to 10 hours | 50.5 g | Aluminum body, hardware noise reduction, NFC, encrypted firmware, speaker |
| MIC06 | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n + Bluetooth 5.3 | 1 GB | Up to 9 hours | 56.5 g | Slide-touch control, gyroscope, NFC, encrypted firmware, private-server deployment |
Each platform can be white-labeled or customized without new industrial or mechanical design, or used as the reference design for a full ODM program.
White label, OEM customization or full ODM?
| Path | What changes | Typical MOQ | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| White label | Logo, packaging, manuals, app branding | Around 500 units | You want to launch quickly on a proven device |
| Platform customization (OEM) | Firmware behavior, button logic, upload endpoint, SDK integration; no industrial or mechanical design changes | Around 500 units | The device must fit your workflow and your cloud |
| Full ODM | New industrial and mechanical design (ID/MD), tooling, PCB, audio and battery | Around 2,000 units | The form factor itself is part of your product |
Proof-of-concept runs on an existing platform are evaluated case by case. You keep your app, your speech-to-text, your AI and your data on every path.
Need a display, a camera or cellular connectivity? These can be added as optional features. They change the product architecture, so they are scoped and built as part of a full ODM program, with the engineering work and cost that comes with it.
How are firmware, device identity and data protected?
- Encrypted firmware on MIC05 and MIC06 protects device-level operations.
- NFC authentication on MIC05 and MIC06 supports user identification and device access control.
- Device authentication to your endpoint is configured per program, so your backend accepts audio only from devices you issued.
- Per-device keys and certificates are available for deployments with strict security requirements. They are defined with you once your security requirements are set, and delivered with the demo units.
- Data handling: where audio is stored on the device, for how long, and what happens after a successful upload are firmware decisions you set. Compliance (for example HIPAA) is a property of your whole system, not of the device alone.
Ask us how firmware updates and data keys are controlled in your program.
Which certifications does a BLE recorder need?
The scope depends on the radios and the markets you sell in. For a connected recorder it typically includes some combination of FCC (United States), ISED (Canada), CE and RoHS (European Union), UKCA (United Kingdom) and TELEC (Japan). Products that use the Bluetooth name and logo also need Bluetooth SIG qualification. Plan certification early: it shapes antenna, enclosure and battery decisions that are expensive to change later. GMIC coordinates test planning, documentation and labs through hardware certification support.
How long does a BLE recorder program take?
- Proof of concept: the simplest, on an existing platform, can be delivered in as little as 2 weeks with an expedite fee.
- Platform-based prototype / MVP: typically 25–45 working days after scope and specifications are agreed; production launch is a separate stage.
- Small batch: about 40 working days after MVP validation and production readiness approval.
- Volume ramp: steady delivery 20–45 working days after the small batch.
Component supply is the main variable. A full ODM program adds design, tooling and validation (EVT, DVT, PVT) before these production steps.
What should an RFQ include?
- Your product and who will wear or carry the device.
- Recording pattern: short notes, long sessions, or continuous capture.
- Transfer: BLE through your app, Wi-Fi to your cloud, or both.
- Your stack: mobile platforms, cloud endpoint, speech-to-text and AI services.
- Branding and form factor: an existing platform as-is, customized, or a new design.
- Target markets for certification.
- Quantities for the pilot, first order and first year.
With this, we can recommend a starting platform or an ODM path and give you a realistic schedule.
Engineering and production are in Shenzhen; the commercial team is in California. Manufacturing is carried out by GainStrong (Shenzhen GainStrong Technology Co., Ltd.), part of the same group.
Frequently asked questions
Four kinds: consumer AI recorder brands (finished products built around their own app), large contract manufacturers such as Jabil and Flex (high volume, usually need a finished design), general electronics factories on B2B marketplaces (stock designs, SDK depth varies), and voice-focused hardware ODMs such as GMIC that supply existing BLE and Wi-Fi platforms with firmware, SDK and API integration.
Yes. Over BLE the device transfers recordings to your mobile app through the SDK; on Wi-Fi models (MIC05, MIC06) it can upload directly to your cloud endpoint or a private server. Your speech-to-text, AI and data stay yours.
White label or customization of an existing platform without industrial or mechanical design changes typically starts around 500 units. A full ODM program with new industrial and mechanical design (ID/MD) typically starts around 2,000 units. Proof-of-concept runs are evaluated case by case.
The simplest proof of concept can be delivered in as little as 2 weeks with an expedite fee. Platform-based prototype / MVP delivery is typically 25–45 working days after scope and specifications are agreed, before production launch; small-batch production follows about 40 working days after MVP validation and production readiness approval; the volume ramp reaches steady delivery 20–45 working days after the small batch. Component supply is the main variable.
BLE only suits short notes sent through a phone app and keeps the device small and light, like the 8.8 g MIC01. Add Wi-Fi when users record for hours or when audio should reach your cloud without a phone, as on MIC05 and MIC06.
Typically some combination of FCC, ISED, CE, RoHS, UKCA and TELEC depending on target markets, plus Bluetooth SIG qualification for products that use the Bluetooth name and logo. Certification scope should be planned before the design is frozen.
Yes, as optional features in a full ODM program. They change the product architecture, so they add engineering work and cost compared with customizing an existing Bluetooth and Wi-Fi platform.
Yes, for deployments with strict security requirements. Device authentication to your endpoint is configured per program; per-device keys or certificates are defined with you once your security requirements are set, and delivered with the demo units.
Engineering and production are in Shenzhen; the commercial team is in California. Manufacturing is carried out by GainStrong (Shenzhen GainStrong Technology Co., Ltd.), part of the same group as GMIC.
Put your brand and your SDK on the device
Tell us what the device needs to capture, where the audio has to go and how many units you plan for. In a 30-minute call, we'll recommend a starting platform or an ODM path and give you a budget range and schedule for your program.
