Urbanears' $199 portable speaker is meant to be shared
It lasts 20 hours on a charge and has a built-in power bank.
Urbanears is back with a connected home speaker, but this time it's both portable and shareable. The Swedish company's new Rålis speaker is small enough to transport and comes with a carrying strap, so you can listen at home or bring it poolside -- where Urbanears promises it's water resistant (IPX2).
Rålis offers more than 20 hours of wireless playtime and a built in power bank, so you can charge your phone while you listen. You can select music directly on the speaker or via Bluetooth, and Rålis lets you connect up to three devices, meaning you can DJ with friends. According to the company, you can control the playlist from up to 30 feet away.
Urbanears sticks to its minimalist aesthetic, with flush-mounted buttons. It doesn't stray from its familiar monochromatic design, either, offering the speaker in grey, red or blue. Rålis has both front and back speakers, which are meant to provide richer, spatial sound, and it's listed at $199. That's a welcome drop from the company's first connected home speakers which sold at $450.
Of course, Urbanears will have to compete with connected speakers by another Swedish company, IKEA. We'll see if portability is enough to give Rålis an edge.
