Nokia has announced a new range of cylindrical, wireless speakers for use with its Lumia smartphones, which have been created in partnership with audio specialist JBL. The range is the first of a collaboration between the two companies and was inspired by a previous series called Play 360°, which was also cylindrical.
Nokia has added an extra layer of double-shot plastic to the PlayUp, to make it more durable. The speakers are reportedly built to deliver full-on sonic performance, too, featuring a maximum output of 89 dB and a specially-designed bass port. Nokia promises a floor-shaking sound thanks to a frequency response of 85 Hz to 22 kHz (-6dB). All this potency comes packaged in a fairly small cylinder of 118 x 118 x 128 mm, with a weight of 760 grams (1.67 lbs). The rechargeable battery can be expected to last ten hours under normal conditions of use.
PlayUp has been designed to accessorize current and upcoming Lumia smartphones, with music transferred via Bluetooth. Nokia said its future Lumia models running on Windows Phone 8 will be able to connect with near field communication (NFC). Older phones without Bluetooth or NFC can also link up to PlayUp with a standard 3.5 mm jack. The cable is supplied as well as a carrying pouch and a MicroUSB charger. The speakers can be remotely controlled with an accessory application that is part of the package.
For the chromatically-enthusiastic, PlayUp speakers come in cyan and bright yellow, while those with a more demure taste in design will be catered for with white and black options. They will start shipping by the end of 2012 for around €149 (US$187).
Source: Nokia