Despite beating the pants off of iOS in basically every market, Android’s plurality of devices and form factors makes it tough for accessory manufacturers to commit to anything more risky than cases and chargers. But iLuv is serving users of one of the most popular Android tablet lines with its very own speaker dock, to the joy of Galaxy Tab owners and the sorrow of their suddenly slimmer wallets. The ArtStation Pro Audio Dock is compatible with the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, 7.7, 8.9 and 10.1.
Samsung’s tablets use a proprietary iPhone-style dock connector for charging and syncing, much to the consternation of those of use who have a few dozen Micro USB cords lying around. That makes it incompatible with universal docks like Philips’ Fidelio line, which relies on a Micro USB connector for charging. But iLuv’s dock sports the proprietary Samsung connector for both charging and audio playback, meaning no extra cables and no Bluetooth audio quality loss, as in the Philips dock.
The dock retails for $149.99 – pretty pricey for a single-function accessory that only works with four devices. But on the plus side, it comes with a full set of big, easy-to-use playback controls on the dock itself and an infrared remote for good measure. The ArtStation Pro’s unique styling won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but with the market starved for Android-friendly audio docks, beggars can’t be choosers. The dock goes on sale this month at retail outlets.
I hear CES is going to bring a number of Android docks to the market. But this has the built in connector required to charge the device