This is a little unit that is shaped like a cassette tape (some of you may have to Google what those were). It is actually larger than a cassette and is closer to the size of the tapes used in some camcorders (Google those, too). (Not sure if this is a review or opportunity to date myself.) It comes in a plastic case like the cassette cases. The price on line was $79; in stores was $99. It comes in several colors.
Where you would have the spools on the front are speakers. The unit is about 5 inches side to side, so they are pretty close together. In those spots on the back are vibrating speakers that I guess are supposed to provide the base response. (I apologize for not knowing actual terminology for these things.) The speaker sits on the front edge, where the tape would be exposed. Side to side it measures about 5 inches, up and down 2-1/2 inches and about 1n inch thick (approximations). There is audio feedback for things like pairing on/off, etc., but not battery level, so far as I can tell. Buttons are volume up and down, skip back and forth and play/pause/phone and power. They are tactile. There are lights for Bluetooth connectivity and battery level. On the bottom is an imbedded button, like you usually see for resetting devices. You use a provided pin to change feedback languages, and sounds is an option, too. I think the languages are English, French, Spanish, Portuguese. The sound from this little thing is impressive, for what it is. As mentioned, the speakers are quite close together, so there isn't much stereo separation. There is a good deal of base response; certainly more than you would expect. Volume is probably as good as you could expect for what it is, but is less than I want for large rooms or outdoors. My point of reference is to the Jawbone Jambox, which outperforms this in all respects. The real downsides in my opinion are that it sits on an edge, so when you reach to change tracks or volume it is easy to knock over. Because of the vibrating speakers on the back you cannot lay it flat to project sound outward. A kickstand to put it at an angle would really have been nice, as that does improve volume. Battery level is not shown on the iPhone. Battery life is supposed to be 8 hours, but you have no way of knowing where you stand. It connects to only one device at a time. I have not tried it as a speaker phone, but it has not worked for Seri. You do not get the tones to start speaking and I've not gotten Seri to respond to anything I've said. I have to say this is not a problem for me, as I have never used these features on other Bluetooth devices, except the Seri nonresponse is a bother at times. However, I mostly use this with my Touch, which is my media device, so I don't have much need for Seri or phone. I should have mentioned that, in addition to the plastic cassette case, you are given a cloth drawstring bag. It comes with a short micro USB cord, but no charger. You can connect using a 3.5 cord, but one of those was not included. This is a cute idea and could be a great option of those only wanting mono sound, such as listening to books or radio. It certainly is compact and portable and would be protected in the plastic case. $79 is more than it is worth, in my opinion, and I would bet closer to the holidays it will be heavily discounted. Just my thoughts off the top of my head. If I forgot anything or anyone has questions, feel free to be in touch. Eric [email protected] -- The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VIPhone" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
