How to Make Portable Bluetooth Speakers Better

As the consumer electronics industry moves further into the 21st century, it is learning that it must adopt new ways of connecting with consumers. Cleverly designed apps connect consumers with their electronics in awesome and engaging ways. Samsung and Apple have both experienced this with wild success of their smart TV remote apps, and the consumer audio industry is following closely behind.

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Portable bluetooth speakers are a big deal. The UE Boom is Logitech’s highest grossing product of all time, and Logitech has made a TON of products (you probably still have a mouse or two floating around in drawer somewhere). A big factor in the success of the UE Boom is that Logitech wisely offered a free iOS and Android app to increase the functionality of the Boom. The app allows you to pair multiple Booms for a stereo effect, rename the device, and control the EQ. JBL and Jawbone have wisely hopped aboard this train and now have some phenomenally successful products on their hands as well.

These three companies have all done something very smart by providing an interactive experience for their audio devices through software. They have added a new dimension to what would have been just a normal speaker, and have bridged the gap between hardware and consumers with well-designed apps.

So where does that leave the dozens of other portable bluetooth speaker manufacturers? Playing catch-up, although 2015 will certainly usher in continued blends of software and hardware to improve performance and user experience.

 

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