Anker Soundcore Flare S+, one of many Alexa-enabled speakers announced at IFA 2018

Ask Alexa how many smart speakers have been unveiled at IFA 2018, and she’ll probably say not enough. Anker joined in on the fun and announced its IPX7-certified Anker Soundcore Flare S+, an update to the Soundcore Flare.

The Anker Soundcore Flare S+ feature Amazon Alexa integration and maintain its predecessor’s 360-degree sound reproduction.

The Anker Soundcore Flare S+ introduces Amazon Alexa to the Soundcore family, and illustrates that Anker listens to user feedback. As stated by Christie Chen, brand director of Soundcore, “The most consistent request we’ve received for Flare has been to add a smart assistant.”

Being an early adopter of the Alexa Mobile Accessory Kit means that the Anker Soundcore Flare S+ connects directly to the Alexa app for greater ease-of-use. Users have immediate access to all 45,000 Alexa skills, and the ring light encompassing the foot of the speaker illuminates in Alexa’s signature cyan accents. This notifies users of when the Flare S+ is “streaming audio to the cloud.”

The Anker Soundcore Flare is similar to the Flare S+ but lacks Alexa support.

Just like the previous Soundcore Flare, the Anker Soundcore Flare S+ is shrouded in a cloth wrap and features opposite-facing drivers for 360-degree sound. Sound reproduction doesn’t lack bass due to the company’s BassUp technology that’s found in other Soundcore devices.

The Anker Sondcore Flare S+ will be available for the holiday season on Amazon for $129.88.

from Android Authority https://ift.tt/2onGUqj