JBL Intros OnBeat Mini Dock with Lightning Connector for New Gen Apple Devices

I still think switching the the lightning connector was one of the stupidest things that Apple has done yet, but hey that’s just me.  Anyway, the new JBL OnBeat mini is a mini speaker dock for new lightning enabled Apple devices including the iPad mini of course. It looks as though it can be used with regular batteries of an AC adapter and it can charge the iPad mini with the batteries. Price is $149 and you’ll be able to buy one in March, full details below…

The JBL^® brand will unveil the first portable speaker dock with a Lighting connector designed specifically for Apple Inc.’s latest line-up of iOS^®devices, including the iPad mini (pictured, right), at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES^®). The acoustically sophisticated JBL OnBeat^™ Mini fits into a backpack or travel bag, providing a portable charging dock for the office, dorm room, business trip or bedroom. The JBL OnBeat Mini includes two full-range transducers and built-in digital signal processing to deliver crisp, room-filling sound.

The JBL OnBeat Mini is on display at HARMAN’s CES booth – Central Hall, booth number 10431 – from January 8 through 11.

The JBL OnBeat Mini provides up to 5 hours of playback when used with batteries and charges the iPad mini, iPhone 5, iPad 4th generation and new iPod models when used with the included AC adapter. The portable speaker also includes a built-in USB connector to power and play other portable devices.

“This portable Lightning dock continues our leadership in being first to market with high-quality docking stations designed specifically for Apple iOS products,” said Sachin Lawande, executive vice president of HARMAN and co-president of HARMAN Lifestyle and Infotainment. “The JBL OnBeat Mini delivers a truly robust listening experience and goes wherever you go, a feature today’s mobile consumer demands so they can hear the truth.”

The JBL OnBeat Mini joins the well-reviewed JBL^® OnBeat Venue^™ LT and JBL OnBeat Micro as the first docks available for consumers to use with Lightning-compatible devices. The JBL OnBeat Mini includes a battery-saving auto-standby feature that turns the dock off after 10 minutes of non-use and an LED status indicator to alert users when new batteries are needed. The JBL OnBeat Mini is available in black or white.

Pricing and availability

The JBL OnBeat Mini has a suggested retail price of $149 and will be available from select retailers or JBL.com in March.

www.harman.com