Jongo is a new wireless speaker system designed to cater for the increased use of smartphones and tablets.
Made by the UK electronics brand Pure, and launched in the UAE last month, it is the first multiroom wireless system that sounds just as good as a wired system, the company claims. It’s also one of the only systems that currently offers both wireless and Bluetooth.
So how does it work? Users download the free Pure app on their device. This gives them access to all the music tracks stored on their device; more than 20,000 radio stations; and more than 200,000 podcasts and programmes. An on-demand music service is also being developed. The app then also works as the remote control.
There are a variety of speaker sizes allowing users to add to their system as they wish. The T2 (Dh799) is designed for smaller spaces, the T4 (not yet available in the UAE) is versatile and the T6 (Dh1,499) is designed for the main living and entertaining areas.
The speakers also have changeable, colourful grills in “burnt orange, lime green and mango”. New colours will be introduced in time. Wall mounts and stands allow for various placement options.
The S3 (Dh899) is a portable, rechargeable speaker with 360° sound. Its rechargeable battery lasts 10 hours, making it suitable for the garden, patio or taking to the beach.
The A2 is a multiroom adapter that enables users to connect their smartphones and tablets to their hi-fi.
“If someone has spent a lot of money on a very decent hi-fi with very decent speakers, they might not want to buy any of the T series [speakers] but they will buy something like the A2 for Dh499 and start streaming from their smartphone,” says Chloe Atkins, a Pure executive. “And the UAE is number one for smartphone penetration, so we are going the right way over here.”
A recent survey by Google ranked the UAE number one in smartphone penetration with 73.8 per cent of mobile customers carrying smartphones.
lgutcher@thenational.ae
