Taking design cues from Apple, a lot of mobile phone speaker manufacturers have dumped the sophisticated devices and have started putting out more minimalistic styled devices. This can be particularly seen in iPhone/iPod speaker dock designs. Instead of bundling in a bunch of features like an LCD display, AM/FM radio, or fancy alarm systems, companies are bringing out simple speakers that leverage the iPhone or iPod Touch’s capabilities to run custom-designed alarm apps.
The Altec Lansing M102 Octiv Mini is one such button-less device that is operated by an app-enhanced iPhone 4 or iPod Touch. Take away the iPhone app and the Octiv Mini is a basic iPod speaker. It’s not a complete plug-and-play device though, for you have to manually launch the app to make use of some features. But playing music is a straight forward affair.
The small size is a plus, but it would have been more portable if it had the ability to run on battery (you have to plug it in). But if I were using these everyday, I would really be pissed of if I had to change batteries every week. The volume range is good, and it has a fairly good sound for such a small speaker. Be aware that you have to change the volume on your iPod/mp3 player itself, as the speaker has no controls on it.
The product also ships with a kind of multi-plug – a single adaptor with an interchangeable pin that allows you to use any of the standard pins available without adding any bulk. Perfect for frequent travelers.
The alarm is very useful. Its functionality varies from setting as many alarms as one might need to a setting for a power nap. I was very surprised on how compact it really is. I plugged it in and was very happy with the sound quality at low volume levels. When reaching mid to full volume, the sound slightly distorts. But you don’t notice it unless you really concentrate on the music.
I also think they should have a back rest on all the adapters to protect the iPhone while it is docked. The device is GSM shielded though, so you don’t have to switch the iPhone to flight mode to play some music.
The Octiv Mini’s austere design, love it or hate it, looks impressive for a system at this price. If you’re looking for a iPhone speaker just to set the ambience in your bedroom, this is the device to go for.
February 12th, 2012 → 11:54 am @ Hollystrafer
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