Android accessories trickle out

Phillips has introduced a set of Android speaker docks as a part of their existing Fidelio line up.  The docks feature MicroUSB connectors, now standard on all Android phones, that will hold phones in either landscape or portrait orientations. And to ensure the flimsy MicroUSB connection holds, the connection is flanked on either side with contact points for stability.

The Fidelio docks vary in size in order to accommodate phones and tablets.  The largest, the AS851, boasts 30W RMS output power, while the second in line, the AS351, is capable of 10W.  The smallest dock, the AS111, is the most portable but also the least powerful.  They all come with the ability to connect to any audio device through an auxiliary input.

Phillips has introduced the Phillips Fidelio app to make the most of the experience.  The app includes a music player and Internet radio stations at your fingertips.  The app is simple, but could use a bit of polish.

The idea of Android accessories came to the forefront at Google I/O with the introduction of the Android Open Accessory.  With Apple’s massive accessory line up owed to the standard port location, it was only a matter of time before Android accessories followed suit.  While Google has yet to officially implement a standard microUSB location, it does seem that more and more phones have settled on the bottom as the preferred location.  Whatever Google chooses, standardized port location (and while we're at it, standardize the button layout too!) will enable the accessory ecosystem to flourish.

Phillips has used design ingenuity to solve the problem for now, but in order to see the vast array of accessories, a more universal connection area may be necessary.

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