CES 2013: Docks like Lightning

At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, JBL will unveil the first portable speaker dock with a Lighting connector designed specifically for Apple’s latest line-up of iOS devices.

The JBL OnBeat Mini fits into a backpack or travel bag, providing a portable charging dock for the office, dorm room, business trip or bedroom. The JBL OnBeat Mini includes two full-range transducers and built-in digital signal processing to deliver crisp, room-filling sound.

The JBL OnBeat Mini provides up to 5 hours of playback when used with batteries and charges the iPad mini, iPhone 5, iPad 4th generation and new iPod models when used with the included AC adapter. The portable speaker also includes a built-in USB connector to power and play other portable devices.

‚”This portable Lightning dock continues our leadership in being first to market with high-quality docking stations designed specifically for Apple iOS products,‚” said Sachin Lawande, executive vice president of HARMAN and co-president of HARMAN Lifestyle and Infotainment. ‚”The JBL OnBeat Mini delivers a truly robust listening experience and goes wherever you go, a feature today’s mobile consumer demands so they can hear the truth.‚”

The JBL OnBeat Mini joins the well-reviewed JBL OnBeat Venue LT and JBL OnBeat Micro as the first docks available for consumers to use with Lightning-compatible devices. The JBL OnBeat Mini includes a battery-saving auto-standby feature that turns the dock off after 10 minutes of non-use and an LED status indicator to alert users when new batteries are needed. The JBL OnBeat Mini is available in black or white.

Pricing and availability

The JBL OnBeat Mini has a suggested retail price of $149 and will be available from select retailers or JBL.com in March.

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