What’s it all about?
The Music Gateway is one of the newest accessories on offer by RIM to anyone owning a BlackBerry smartphone such as the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 or Curve 9350, 9360 and 9370. With a UK release date set for June [2012], what is the Music Gateway and why do you need one? This tiny device allows you to stream music from your phone from anywhere there’s a compatible stereo – at home, at work or in the car. You can play, pause, skip tunes and adjust the volume with remote control operation and the music automatically fades if a call is received.The Gateway uses NFC (Near Field Communications), which is the same technology that brings us contactless payments.
You simply connect the two devices using the supplied 3.5 mm cable to a headphone socket, and then touch the two devices together to connect.
Once you have paired your device, you are able to walk (or dance) within a range of about 30 feet, without missing a beat!
The NFC pairing feature is currently exclusive to those BlackBerry devices supporting the technology.
Otherwise, the Gateway is also compatible with other BlackBerry devices that are A2DP and AVRCP Bluetooth enabled. It can support up to eight separate devices at once.
Its touch sensitive screen allows you to bring the Gateway to life, or put it to sleep when you’ve had enough.
The Gateway doesn’t need a battery and is powered by the standard BlackBerry travel charger. The Gateway is lightweight – weighing in at just 28 grams.
The audio quality is good; with reports from US users suggesting the sound quality can be further improved by turning the volume up to loud on your smartphone.
Set to be priced in the region of £30, this could be an affordable new ‘toy’ for all BlackBerry smartphone owners.
Once you have purchased your Gateway, it may be worth noting that RIM recently released a video guide, showing you step by step how to use your new accessory.
About the author
Matt Rawlings is an experienced tech blogger who has written about subjects from GPS trackers to the latest mobile phone releases including reviews of the Samsung Galaxy S3; guides to buying prepaid smartphones; and many other forms of technology.
