Jabra is redefining wireless portable speakers with awesome design and build quality, probably following the footsteps of the much-acclaimed Jawbone Jambox. The company launched its Solemate range of wireless portable speakers and then followed it up with the Solemate Max and the Solemate Mini. We received a review unit of the Solemate Mini from Jabra and we have to say, we were quite impressed by the sheer coolness of the device.
The Solemate Mini is pretty small, weighs around 295-gms and features an overall rubberized body covering the speaker unit, and a treaded rubber bottom that resembles the sole of sneakers. The treaded rubber base helps keep the speaker from moving around when you play it at a loud volume. At the top of the speaker, you will find three buttons, which includes two volume controls. The third button is for checking the battery status in addition to serving as an answer and end key, when you use the Solemate Mini as a speakerphone.
The Jabra Solemate Mini is rough and tough – it is water and dust-resistant. So you can take it out and about on your worldly travels and be assured that a little bit of water splash or dust won’t put it out of action. To pair the Solemate Mini to your mobile device, you can either use Bluetooth 3.0 connection, or NFC (Near Field Communication) if you have a compatible device. Once connected, it plays your music / audio through Bluetooth 3.0 connection.
To pair the device via Bluetooth 3.0, press and hold (4 secs) the answer/end button until pairing mode is announced, and the Bluetooth light flashes. Then, release the button and follow the voice guided paring instructions. In order to connect the Solemate Mini to your NFC-enabled device, locate and gently tap the NFC zone on the mobile device against the NFC zone on the Jabra Solemate Mini. The pairing is instant.
The Solemate Mini offers a Bluetooth connectivity in the range of 33 feet. When you are not using it as a wireless speaker, you can also connect it using a 3.5mm audio cable. The Solemate Mini comes with a built-in rechargeable battery that Jabra claims charges in 3 hours and provides up to 8 hours music playback. We were able to eke out around 7 hours of battery life on a 3 hours recharge. That’s pretty impressive.
The audio quality is what you have come to expect of Jabra products. We connected the device to an HTC Android smartphone and we found the quality of the audio playback to be brilliant. The bass is excellent and more than enough to fill a medium-sized room with loud sound. Watching movies, playing games and so much more, was a pleasant experience. With Bluetooth 3.0 and NFC connectivity features, this dinky little wireless speaker delivers big sound.
Price: AED 399
Specifications:
Speaker Type: Portable Bluetooth speaker
Weight: 295-gms
Battery: Built-in rechargeable batter. Up to 8 hours of continuous play time
Mic: Built-in mic for speaker phone
Available Colours: Blue, Red, Black, Yellow, and White
Connectivity: Wired and Wireless
Wireless Technology: Bluetooth 3.0, NFC
Transmission Range: 33 feet
Interface Type: USB
Connector Type: 1 x Audio line-in
