CES 2013 saw the introduction of quite a few new portable Bluetooth speakers, some sporting innovative designs like Qube's ultra tiny golfball sized speaker and Zagg's 2-in–1 speaker design. Here are a few of the more notable offerings:

zaggoriginZagg Origin

The Origin speaker from Zagg is a dual Bluetooth speaker system that comes equipped with a small, portable speaker that can be taken on the go, and a larger desktop speaker.

Origin's smaller speaker seamlessly docks with the larger speaker, providing an uninterrupted listening experience. The docking speaker charges the portable speaker, which has a 10 hour battery life, and both speakers work in conjunction when fit together. It will be released in the Spring of 2013 and will retail for $249.99.

feltaudioFELT Pulse and FELTaudio

FELT Audio's FELT Pulse Bluetooth speaker is small enough to fit into a pocket. It can also snap onto the back of the company's FELTaudio cases, and with an integrated speaker phone, it can be used to make conference calls.

The Pulse comes with a built-in stand and clip, so it can be set up on tables and desks or clipped to pockets and car visors, and it sports an eight hour battery life. It will be available in the Spring of 2013 for $99.

qubeMatrix Audio Qube

Matrix Audio's Qube is 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches, and small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. The current version works with a 3.5mm headphone jack, but the company plans to ship a Bluetooth version in March.

The Qube comes in black, silver, and red, with additional colors planned for release at a later date. Despite being smaller than a golfball, the Qube sports 3 watts of output and an eight hour battery. The Qube will retail for $49.99.

braven

Braven BRV-1

Braven's new BRV–1 is a rugged, rubber covered speaker that is water resistant, making it ideal for outdoor use. The company also announced the larger 850 Bluetooth aluminum speaker, which is similar in size to a Big Jambox, but able to charge iPads and iPhones.

The BRV–1 will retail for $170 in February 2013, while the 850 will be available for $300 at a later date.

Top Rated Comments

whoiare Avatar
163 months ago
I'm not sure why you'd need an AirPlay device specifically. I have two Bluetooth speakers and each one appears as an option for all of my Apple devices. I just select one as I would an AirPlay device and the Bluetooth speaker streams the content perfectly.

Because airplay just doesnt include your iphone or your ipad. any NEWER mac. and apple tv can also send music to an airplay device. Also im not sure how bluetooth works with multiple speakers but im betting you can only pair one at a time. Airplay is the simpliest way of creating whole house music on multiple speakers all at the same time. My setup:

pioneer VSX 1021 with airplay support in basement connected to home theater and zone 2 into work space
apple tv 2 connected to living room tv 1st floor
griffin twenty attached to airport express and speakers - portable
always on mac mini with attached itunes library. office
various ipod touches, iphones, ipads

from any idevice i can turn music onto the pioneer, griffin, apple tv, and computer to play all at the same time. or pick and choose which speakers i want on from either the local library or the shared itunes library. i have yet to purchase any single stand alone speaker/airplay system because they are all $200 plus. Until someone sells a $100 built in airplay decent sounding speaker system, i will continue to hold out.

and this is just on the music front. dont forget airplay's ability to send video - but thats off topic
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ouimetnick Avatar
163 months ago
Obscene prices, low quality woofers, cheap plastic, and bluetooth. Bluetooth really down converts the sound anyway, so even if you had an amazing setup, BT would be a bottle neck.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
needfx Avatar
163 months ago
most of these speaker are hardly worth the costs for their usefulness
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
EmpyreanUK Avatar
163 months ago
I would really like a small speaker with Airplay support. Such a thing does not exist, though, and I don't hold out much hope that it ever will.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Born Again Avatar
163 months ago
Not very exciting
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
komodrone Avatar
163 months ago
I would really like a small speaker with Airplay support. Such a thing does not exist, though, and I don't hold out much hope that it ever will.
1. Airplay sends uncompressed data over the wireless medium
2. Airplay requires WIFI (it would be difficult to do airplay in any other place except your home)
3. Airplay drains battery life substantially compared to bluetooth on both the sender and the receiver devices
4. Cost of implementing Airplay into a portable device is high
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
Prime Day 25 Feature Warm Triad

The Best Early Prime Day Deals on Apple Products

Saturday July 5, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Amazon is soon to be back with its annual summertime Prime Day event, lasting for four days from July 8-11, the longest Prime Day yet. As it does every year, Prime Day offers shoppers a huge selection of deals across Amazon's storefront, and there are already many deals you can get on sale ahead of the event. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a ...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...