The Android market is, as we all know, woefully fragmented. Thankfully, Philips has finally figured out how to make a standalone speaker system that can connect to any Android device, regardless of manufacturer.
The Philips Fidelio series comprises three tiers of devices, the flagship AS851 model and two smaller versions. The AS851 features 30W speakers, a multi-position micro USB port, five-band equaliser and remote. The micro USB port can be reconfigured to fit any brand of Android phone, yet isn’t actually used to play music — really it’s only for charging the device. Instead, users are expected to rely on the Philips Fidelio App that wirelessly streams music from the device via a Bluetooth connection. Huzzah?
The AS851 retails for £199 and is on sale as of today. It’s not quite as elegant solution as virtually anything that comes out of Cupertino, but is handy for households (like mine) that don’t use Apple.
[Philips via PC Advisor]