Parrot readying PARTY Black Edition Bluetooth speaker with NFC
Just days after we got wind of the NFC-ified Nokia 6212 comes word that the PARTY Black Edition Bluetooth speaker -- that was introduced around a fortnight ago -- will also include the same technology. Yep, a NFC-enabled Bluetooth version will soon be available for purchase, giving owners of NFC handsets the ability to pair up their device by simply getting up close and personal with the speaker. Specs wise, expect it to boast six total watts of power, a 5-button user interface, eight hours of battery life and an auxiliary input for times when a vanilla DAP will have to do. Word on the street has this one landing in the summertime for £79 ($156), but we've yet to see any official details on US pricing / availability. Check the full release after the jump.
The Parrot PARTY Black Edition will be available for the summer and is presented at the NFC World Europe along with Nokia's new NFC mobile phone, the Nokia 6212 Classic.
Near Field Communications World Europe 2008, London April 16th 2008 - Parrot, leader in wireless mobile telephony devices, today announced the launch of Parrot PARTY Black Edition, the first commercialised speaker system to integrate Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.
Where in the past pairing phones with Bluetooth devices has involved navigating menus, the Parrot PARTY Black Edition's NFC technology allows pairing simply by touching the phone to the speaker system.
Henri Seydoux, founder and CEO of Parrot commented "The added value lies in the fact that NFC is fast and easy to use, while guaranteeing a high level of security."
Experts predict that by 2010, more than 500 million handsets will incorporate NFC capabilities. The technology will be used for payments both remotely and at point of sale as well as to access information from smart objects. Parrot has been a member of the NFC Forum Initiative for over two years and the incorporation of NFC in the PARTY Black Edition underlines Parrot's continuing role a leading innovator in the industry.
Henri Seydoux added "Parrot welcomes and embraces any industry initiative such as NFC that helps improve the customer experience via simplicity of use and more user-friendly features: there is a wide range of applications in consumer electronics, from digital photo frames to music and car kits which will add real value to the consumer."
NFC-enabled Parrot PARTY Black Edition
As well as the NFC technology the PARTY Black Edition includes a built-in Class-D amplifier and two drivers with a total power output of 6 W. The speakers can be paired easily with any Bluetooth device including mobile phones, MP3 players, PCs or Macs.
The PARTY Black Edition also boasts two exclusive audio effects developed by Parrot. Stereo Widening, gives the music a surround sound effect and Virtual SuperBass reinforces the bass frequencies.
At 650g the light-weight design combines with eight hours battery life to make the speakers highly portable, allowing users to enjoy music on the move. The system can be plugged into the mains while still listening to music and battery will fully recharge in 2½ hours.
The Parrot PARTY Black Edition will be available in the summer 2008 from Parrot retailers and online from www.parrotshopping.com at the recommended retail price of £79.00 incl. VAT. For further product information please visit www.parrot.com.
