Despite today’s news being completely taken over by Samsung with their new Tablets, Cameras and other gadgetry, Dutch manufacturer Philips is still trying to get in on the action by announcing a trio of Android-compatible speaker docks.
Philips announced three new docking stations of a different variety today at the IFA Consumer Electronics event in Berlin – they’re not just for iPods and iPhones.
The AF111, AS851 and the AS351 are the trio in question, all offering Micro USB connectivity for Android smartphones and just about anything else that plays music and houses a Micro USB connection.
There’s a micro USB jack connector on all three docks which can be pulled out to extend and also rotated by 360 degrees to ensure that no matter the size or shape of your gadget, it will fit on the dock.
The docking stations sound great, but if you’re a gadget fiend then you may already be aware that a Micro USB connection cannot be used to send audio from a device, it can only charge the battery. Therefore, the Micro USB connection on these docks merely charges your Android gadget, while you’ll need to make a Bluetooth connection to the dock in order to send audio through the speakers.
Philips have developed a free app for Android smartphones called ‘Simply Share’ which will configure your phone to work via Bluetooth with their trio of new docking stations, so it’s all rather easy.
The AS851 will set you back €199 while the AS351 (the smallest dock) is €129. The AS111 is an alarm clock-style circular dock but as yet doesn’t have a price.
We expect all three docks to be sold in the UK starting next month, though we are still awaiting an official release date from Philips.