Creative has unveiled its latest portable Bluetooth speaker, the diminutive MUVO Mini, which has been built to withstand the elements - potentially making it the perfect picnic partner when out enjoying the notoriously changeable British summer weather. The compact speaker is IP66 rated against dust and water, with a rubberised finish designed to protect the internal circuitry and keep the music playing even when you get stuck in a downpour.
Small enough to squeeze into a pocket at 190x37x59mm, and weighing just 288g, the MUVO Mini is impressively compact and portable enough to take just about anywhere. Inside, twin 1.3in full-range drivers and a front-facing passive bass radiator handle audio, while a 2,200mAh battery should be able to keep the speaker juiced up for ten hours of playback. Once you're home, it recharges over microUSB, meaning you can re-use your smartphone adaptor.
Creative has added Near Field Communications (NFC) to help make pairing with a smartphone or tablet as easy as possible, for streaming tracks over Bluetooth 4.0 using the A2DP profile. There's also a 3.5mm auxiliary input for connecting older, wired devices. There's also a call answering button that can turn the speaker into a speakerphone if anyone tries to ring you when playing music from a paired smartphone.
"We want our users to be able to enjoy an optimal audio experience in the most compact-sized speaker that they can put into their pockets or purses, and bring it along wherever they go," Chew Eng Niu, Creative's Senior Manager for Advanced Multimedia Products, said of the MUVO Mini. "Whether at a picnic at the beach, a BBQ, partying by the pool, or calling your family, the MUVO mini is a perfect weatherproof companion wherever you go."
The MUVO Mini should be going on sale here in the UK for around £50, in a choice of black, white, blue or red colours.
