Review: BlackBerry Mini Stereo Speaker
Monday, April 1, 2013 at 8:03AM 
Text and photo by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
BlackBerry is being proactive in the creation of its accessories to best complement the BlackBerry Z10. The new mini Stereo Speaker is a ($99.00) Bluetooth accessory that simply tucks into the strap of your backpack or messenger bag while routing music or phone calls from your BlackBerry device. Hit jump for a demo video and all the details.
Selling in various BlackBerry dealers and shops like The Source, the Mini Stereo Speaker is a dynamic accessory that's designed to work on-the-go as an external wireless speaker for music but can be used as a speakerphone in the car or in the office once paired with a BlackBerry handset.
Audio quality is surprisingly loud for such a small speaker, and build quality is tough despite the device's delicate design and soft-touch exterior. Pairing with our Z10 was straightforward and the sound performance was great for most types of music. As expected, there's more highs and mid-range sounds and less focus on bass but it handles vocals exceptionally well.
I've also paired the Mini Stereo Speaker with my PlayBook to serve as the audio speaker and this worked well for watching movies and tv shows on that device.
The Mini Stereo Speaker fits most messenger bag straps securely but I found it hard to match it with some of my padded backpack straps. In terms of functionality, BlackBerry put some thought into this device since they included a headset jack for when you want to use headphones. You can also control volume and navigate music tracks using the tiny buttons on the stereo speaker.
The Mini Stereo Speaker has many of the features in popular devices such as the Jambox speaker but in a more portable and easy to secure/wear form factor. It isn't as loud as some of these desktop-based speakers and offers less bass and sound separation but is nonetheless adequate for on-the-go use. This will appeal to users who like playing their music out in the open or who want to partake of hands free conversations without using headphones.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Reader Comments (1)
I love BB and hope they get through the current phase - it' a brand I would always support. And I get why they did this product, though IMO they need to look beyond the status quo, and innovate. So rather than doing a little me-too bluetooth speaker, they would be better off associating with higher quality wireless products in some meaningful way - say matching up with the Xeo from Dynaudio or the Mini Aero wireless monitors from Moos. I know this will not give BB the multi hundred million sales volumes directly, but it will elevate the brand by making it interesting again, which IMO is a prerequisite for regaining market share.