This isn’t quite a wireless speaker, but Vizio’s new Portable Smart Audio players are capable of streaming music over WiFi and Bluetooth connections. However that’s not how they were meant to be used. These are running Android 4.4 – KitKat, along with a quad-core processor, and allow you to play music and video off of any app you choose. So you’re basically bypassing the streaming part. This set up should be easier to use, and maybe more reliable as well. Both players have access to the Google Play store, you don’t have to worry about whether Pandora, Netflix, or any other app is installed or comes pre-loaded.
There are two models here. One with a 7-inch screen and another with a 4.7-inch screen. The smaller one is obviously more portable, but as we’ve learned from the Nexus 7, the 7-incher is pretty portable as well. However the 7-incher does also have a built-in handlebar, which makes it a bit easier to carry, but it’s still pretty heavy, about 8.8 pounds. The 7-inch model brings bigger drivers and a bigger set of passive radiators, which allows the player to get own to a lower frequency of 60Hz. While the 4.7-incher goes down to 80Hz.
So far there’s no word on pricing for either model, nor availability. But since this is Vizio we’re talking about here, I wouldn’t be surprised to see these priced pretty low. Vizio usually will price their products pretty low, and their products will perform exceptionally well. At least that’s been my experience with their products in the past. These are pretty interesting products, but I’m not sure how popular they will become. I think a nice portable speaker would be better from Vizio. What do the rest of you think? We’ve got pictures of both models in the galleries down below for you to check out.
