The Beolit 17 is the newest and most powerful version of B&O Play’s portable lunch box speaker

B&O Play announced the latest iteration of its portable Beolit speaker line today, the Beolit 17, as seen by Engadget. While visually identical to both the second-generation Beolit 15 and first-gen Beolit 12 models, the new model adds more powerful sound and a faster charging USB-C port.

Additionally, there’s a new Connect button, which seems to be the marquee upgrade of the device. Users can customize the button in the Beoplay App, allowing it to function as an alarm clock switch, work as a dedicated playback control button, serve as a one-touch hotkey for a specific song, or toggle B&O’s ToneTouch audio presets. The Beolit 17 also offers a slight upgrade to the latest Bluetooth 4.2 standard for connecting to devices.

Otherwise, the Beolit 17 remains extremely similar to the less powerful Beolit 15: it features the same aluminum and plastic design, the same iconic leather strap, and the same 24-hour battery life estimate off a 2200mAh rechargeable battery.

However, the Beolit 17 does win out in one other key aspect — despite being a newer and more powerful speaker, it costs $499, $100 less than the $599 Beolit 15 (which, curiously, is still available for sale at that price point).

The Beolit 17 is available now from the B&O Play store in natural (silver) or stone grey (black). 

The article was published on : theverge