We get it. You love your iPhone 5 so much that you’re willing shrug off the money you lost on the two-year-old, 30-pin speaker dock that’s now obsolete. You’re ready to invest in an 8-pin dock because Apple wouldn’t dare change its proprietary standard again. Right? RIGHT? Don’t worry, this burly burnt orange speaker dock for Apple’s Lightning iOS devices will disappear your cash in a flash.
A few months back, JBL impressed us by being the first manufacturer to market with speaker docks for Apple’s new Lightning connector.
Whereas the previously announced OnBeat Venue Lightning was a 30-watt system with just a pair of full-range drivers, the 50-watt OnBeat Rumble packs 20 more watts of juice, most of which is probably dedicated to driving the 4.5-inch down-firing subwoofer. The Venue has no dedicated low-end driver, and JBL promises that the addition of a sub to the Rumble will deliver earth-shattering bass. Like the Venue, the Rumble has Bluetooth so that your friends who are still carrying 30-pin iPhones (Suckers!) can connect wirelessly. Sadly, the OnBeat Rumble will cost $US400 when it’s available some time in second quarter of this year. That’s twice as expensive as the Venue. Without more detailed specs or even a first listen, the OnBeat Rumble seems a tad expensive.
Back in November, JBL also announced the OnBeat Micro, a tiny, $US100 battery-powered number for your iPhone 5. Now, JBL’s getting ready to drop — wait for it — the OnBeat Mini, which is basically identical to the Micro except that the docking area is now large enough to accommodate a fourth-generation iPad or an iPad Mini. Oh, and the Mini costs $US50 more than the Micro. INNOVATION. [JBL]