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Jabra's $200 Solemate portable Bluetooth speaker wants to kick the Jambox aside

Joe Pollicino
Updated ·4 min read

If you looked at the photo above thinking Dr. Martens got into the portable speaker game, you're not so far off. Jabra's taken its Bluetooth headset know-how and blended it with a footwear-inspired design to create its first portable speaker, the $200 Solemate. At first glance the shoe theme does seem a bit silly, but don't let that fool you as this Bluetooth 3.0 speaker packs some notable specs -- especially pitted against the Jawbone Jambox. Available in black or white, the features rubberized casing that's shock- and water-resistant, and can be supplemented with an included waterproof soundbag (similar to the Braven 625). Taking it a step further, the unit actually has a "heel tab" for carrying purposes and a replaceable sole, which also serves as a storage point for a handy 3.5mm cable. %Gallery-163767%

Moving on to its less quirky features, at the front you'll find a duo of acoustic tweeters separated by a subwoofer with a passive bass radiator on the back -- all together they pump out up to a whopping 120dB of volume. On top are two volume buttons, along with a multifunction button for commanding calls and enabling its Voice Guidance feature. Lastly, the right side houses two indicator lights (battery and Bluetooth), a power and pairing switch, a 3.5mm jack and a micro-USB input for charging and direct digital audio connection. According to Jabra the unit is "about the size and weight of a water bottle," and you can expect to get around eight to ten hours of use per charge. We'll be giving you our in-depth impressions of the speaker before long, however, the Solemate will be up for pre-order today at the likes of Best Buy and Amazon, and set to release on September 2nd if you're already interested. Check out the press release after the break for more details in the meantime.

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TAKE THE PARTY WITH YOU WITH THE ULTIMATE PORTABLE SPEAKER – JABRA
SOLEMATE

From the Beach or the Backyard to a Tailgate or House Party,
the Jabra Solemate is Your Music Companion Wherever You Go

(Nashua, NH, August 30, 2012) – Play that funky music - loud, clear and anywhere with the new Jabra Solemate. About the size and weight of a water bottle, the Jabra Solemate is small and light and features a thick carrying strap that makes it even easier to carry around and use in any environment. A unique rubber 'sole' stores a 3.5 mm audio cable and a sound bag provides an extra layer of protection in sand, moisture and sunny outdoor
conditions. The Jabra Solemate is available for pre-order at Amazon.com beginning today and will be available for purchase at Best Buy retail stores, BestBuy.com and Amazon.com on September 2nd.

Jabra has also announced a partnership with ClubCreate, a social platform for music creation and collaboration that allows music lovers to play their remixed tunes via the Solemate speaker. Combining Jabra's heritage in creating high-quality audio devices and ClubCreate's platform for music expression creates an experience unlike any
other. With the rise of creating customized music and ring tones for mobile phones, the Jabra Solemate and Club Create partnership capitalizes on the trend, enabling users to legally create and personalize their own music with ClubCreate and share what they've created with friends and family via the Solemate.

A multifunctional portable wireless speaker, the Jabra Solemate enables music lovers to enjoy the freedom of big sound with strong, deep bass from an integrated subwoofer and rich, vibrant acoustics from dual tweeters.

The Jabra Solemate connects to any device that can play music - either corded or wirelessly - using Bluetooth technology, a 3.5mm audio cable or USB cable, and caters to all types of uses, indoors or outdoors. Whether connected to a mobile phone, tablet, iPad®, iPod®, mp3 Player or laptop, the Solemate is the perfect audio companion to play music clearly and loudly.

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PLAY ON! - Play music while lying at the beach, hanging out in a park, hosting a barbeque, or relaxing at home. Or, amplify the volume while streaming YouTube videos or watching movies.

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MIX ON! - Simply and instantly create your own songs with ClubCreate and take them with you via the Solemate.

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DANCE ON! - Dance to unbelievable sound quality at the next social event, birthday party, or holiday extravaganza.

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GAME ON! - Turn-up the volume on mobile videogames and beat the top score.

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TALK ON! – Catch up with friends, family and colleagues via phone or video chat services like Skype and on a mobile phone, PC, or tablet.

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CARRY ON! – Solemate is meant to travel. Small, light and comes with its own sound bag!

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PARTY ON! - Sweat, dust, splash and shock resistant.

The Jabra Solemate ($199) comes in black or white and will be available at Best Buy retail stores and online at BestBuy.com, Amazon.com, Jabra.com, and ClubCreate.com.

For more information on Jabra's line of Bluetooth speakers, headsets and in-car speakerphones, please visit www.Jabra.com, like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/JabraUS or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jabra_us.