Press

CRAVE ONLINE

"The SWITCH...passed every test I could throw at it during my test period. It's a very strong multipurpose bit of kit."

By John Scott Lewinski 4-2-13

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VIBE

"... a must have for music lovers on the go."

By Sarah Polonsky 3-13-13

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THE MIAMI HERALD

"... powerful sounding..."

"... just rocking good sound with lots of bass..."

By Gregg Ellman 2-27-13

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T3

"This pounds out 14 hours of battery-based music time... the SWITCH doubles handily as a speakerphone."

Stuff

"... while most Bluetooth speakers tend to run out of juice around the eight hour mark, the SWITCH will rock and roll all night... clocking in at 14 hours."

DWELL

A Stylish Portable Bluetooth Speaker

The device is simple and stylish—essentially a white, black, red, or blue brick (we're partial to the white). Retailing for $149, Switch works as a Bluetooth-controlled speaker or conference call unit. Much like an iPhone, it features just one button to turn it on and off. It also boasts two rubberized sides to protect surfaces if its displayed vertically or horizontally. It's lightweight and can easily be transported; however, we'd have liked to see a protective carrying case included.

The Jambox is a close competitor and if you're looking for an alternative to the trailblazing device, Switch delivers. The sound quality is great, it will play nicely with your other minimalist pieces, and the price point is $50 less than Yves Behar's brainchild. Moreover, Switch's powerful battery acts as a power bank that can be used to charge other USB mobile devices.

BY Diana Budds 2-22-13

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THE GADGETEER

"Native Union Has Made the SWITCH. Will You?"

The portable speaker market is getting more and more crowded … and more interesting as well. Jambox, FoxL, Scosche, JBL, Braven, and a host of others are competing for your wallet and coming up with some twists in design and/or features to grab your attention. Native Union is a company you may not have heard of, but they have an interesting and unusual array of accessories for a gadget-filled life. They also make portable, wireless speakers with unique styling.

Their latest is SWITCH, a Bluetooth speaker that can be used either vertically or horizontally. This boxy, elongated speaker has an oversized volume/on-off knob and that’s about it – at least all that is visible, anyway. Hidden behind a flap are the usual ports: USB, audio in and headphone. The design is minimalist in the extreme. And also quite pretty. The audio is said to rival the Jambox, meaning that it sounds bigger than it is. Only a review can determine that. However with its lower price and impressive design, Native Union’s SWITCH may just be different enough to well, make a switch. SWITCH comes in red, blue, black, white and gray. It sells for $149.99 US and is available now.

1-31-13

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BALLER STATUS

"Native Union Unveils SWITCH Portable Wireless Speaker at 2013 CES"

Tech/gadget bloggers were impressed by this new release on the iLounge section of the 2013 International CES, the Native Union SWITCH speaker, a finalist at the CES Best in Show awards. The brick-shaped SWITCH by Native Union is a portable wireless speaker with built-in Bluetooth technology, as well as an integrated 3.5mm audio input for other music players. It features a simple, yet elegant design, clearly focused on style and ease of use. The speaker is constructed of plastic and rubber, creating a hard shell with a soft touch.

A built-in rechargeable battery offers up to 14 hours of playback time or 16 hours of phone calls. It also serves as a handy backup battery to charge mobile devices, while its microphone makes it possible to conveniently answer calls. In order to produce high quality sound, the speaker comes with three drivers, stereo speakers and an active bass driver, which is impressive considering its price tag. SWITCH is expected to be a boxy alternative to speakers such as the JBL's Flip, which was released in 2012, the Jawbone Jambox and other shameless rip-offs. The SWITCH portable wireless speaker is slated to hit stores this Spring , priced at $149.99. For more info, visit Native Union.com.

1-31-13

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DIGITAL TRENDS

"NATIVE UNION’S BRICK-SHAPED SWITCH BLUETOOTH SPEAKER HAS A FEW TRICKS UP ITS SLEEVE"

Amid flurry of Bluetooth speakers that made an appearance at this year’s CES, Native Union debuted the Switch, a brick-shaped Bluetooth speaker that focuses on style and ease of use. The device features LED indicators for at-a-glance battery-checks, among other intuitive features, and is the company’s first portable, Bluetooth-enabled speaker. Switch is powered by three drivers and features an active subwoofer, which is pretty impressive for the $150 price tag. It sports a pretty resilient battery as well, and plays for 14 hours at a clip. In a feature that’s become standard with Bluetooth speakers, Native Union’s newbie can also handle conference calls, but it’s perhaps better suited to do so than most thanks to a full-duplex microphone, which lets parties on both end of the line speak simultaneously.

1-9-13

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Winner of iLounge.com’s Best of Show at CES 2013

"Impressive"

- Patrick Avenell, Current.com

"Minimalist good looks"

- Jeremy Horowitz, iLounge.com

"…unique design"

- Jesse Hollington, iLounge.com

"…focuses on style and ease of use"

- Adam Poltrack, digitaltends.com

US WEEKLY

"Stars (Kids) – They're Just Like Us!"

They Fancy a Chat!

Rachel Zoe’s boy, SKYLER BERMAN, 22 months, went bananas with a phone in L.A. Jan. 9.

2-4-13

JOHNNY JET

"Product of the Week: Native Union Solo Travel Handset"

Do you use Skype or other VoIP applications as much as I do? If so, and you don’t want to wear a silly headset, then checkout this Native Union Solo Travel Handset ($39.99) that makes taking long calls infinitely more comfortable and stylish. It works with mobile devices, laptops and tablets. It’s also lightweight, slim and comes with a tangle-free cord so it easily fits into any carry-on bag.

1-29-13

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DAILY TEKK

"Review: POP Bluetooth Retro Handset by Native Union"

For those wanting to up the style ante or people who miss the good ol’ days when phones had rotary dials and curved handsets with the curly cord, the POP Bluetooth retro handset by Native Union may offer a welcome change of pace. Additionally if you are concerned about radiation hitting your head from their cell phone, this handset can provide peace of mind. The design is just like the handset of a retro rotary dial minus the base and cord (actually a rotary-style cord does come included but is only used to charge the phone via USB). It’s very lightweight (I’d almost prefer a bit more heft, actually). The handset is made of a nice plastic (color choices are black, red and blue) that has a soft velvety touch/feel. In the box you’ll also find a rectangular felt cloth which you can put on a desk or surface to “hold” the receiver when not in use. What I like best about this handset is it’s concept. If people could hear me better I’d use this all the time: it’d be convenient to simply leave my phone in my pocket.

1-22-13

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APP ADVICE

"CES 2013: Native Union Shows Off Its Line Of Retro-Style Bluetooth Handset"

You have probably seen Native Union’s product line in stores, especially the fun, colorful Pop Phone, a retro-style handset that plugs into the headphone jack iPhone to provide a more comfortable talking experience. Native Union was at CES 2013 this year, showing off some of its classic products like the Pop Phone and debuting new offerings, like the ultra sleek dual-phone Curve Twin. The Curve Twin is essentially the company’s Curve Bluetooth iDock (also displayed in the video), but capable of supporting two different iDevices. Users can plug in an iPhone or an iPad for conferencing calls, and it’s also a great way to charge while you talk. Native Union’s phones are a great for talking hands-free, and also perfect if you want to use your iPhone while you talk. Holding the iPhone for a long conversation can be a tedious prospect, a problem that the Pop lineup alleviates.

1-10-13

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ESSINCE

"ESSINCE x POP Phone"

Man, I really could've used one of these in college while trying to dunk on fools on NBA Jam TE while talking to my mom. I know what some of you are thinking, ‘Why do you need this? Use speaker phone?‘ Well maybe I'm in a public place and don't want the world listening in or the background noise shared? 'But, Essince, just use a Bluetooth, bro...hands free‘ True...Bluetooth are hands free...they also usually cost more and, pardon my ignorance, but can they transfer easily from mobile, to tablet, to PC? Do they reduce absorbed radiation from cell phones by up to 99%? Anyway, I've been rocking this for a minute and though I was skeptical (and also wanted one) it's actually pretty dope.

1-7-13

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PC MAGAZINE

"Comfortable, stylish design."
"A fun retro handset that’s comfortable to use"

I've never had a landline. It hasn't been a problem—my cell phone suits me just fine. But every once in a while, when I'm trying to talk on the phone and cobble dinner together at the same time, I long for the ability to cradle my phone between my ear and shoulder like you can with a traditional home phone. If I tried doing that with my cell phone, I'd probably end up eating iPhone soup.

MASHABLE

“10 Desirable Docks That Turn
Your iPhone Into A Desk Phone”

…offers a striking way to dock your iPhone

Do you work at a desk and own an iPhone? Then we have some stylish dock designs for you — these devices turn your Apple smartphone into a landline-style phone, complete with standalone handset.

Whether you seek rad retro styling or minimalist modern looks, there's a dock to suit your personal style in our roundup.

MSN Tech

“50 great gadgets under ￡100”

Post-it notes are so passe, what the cool kids are using these days are video memos like the Native Union Play. The Play has a magnetised back so you can stick it to your fridge and a wall-tape pad so you can stick it anywhere else. You can record up to three minutes of video with the device

GADGETS BOY

Native Union Play - Video Memo Pad

Leaving notes at home or office has gone from writing on post-it notes to writing on white boards or even using alphabet magnets on fridges, but Native Union Play takes it a step further with the use of video memo pad. The Native Union Play comes with a magnetic back and attachment that allows you to stick it to your fridge or you could use the string attachment and hook it up anywhere else.

Mailonline

“It's goodbye to post-it notes with the 'ultimate video memo'... and yes, it even sticks to your fridge.”

It's mooted as the 'ultimate video memo'. And some say it will sound the death knell for post-it notes. The Native Union 'Play' is a multi-message video pad that you can hold in the palm of your hand. It has three main functions: record, stop and play.
It holds up to four hours of memos with each video entry having a maximum capacity of 180 seconds. Its magnetic back enables users to stick it to the fridge or other similar surface. It also times and dates messages.

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Gizmag

Play video memo pad drags the fridge-magnet into the digital age

Not so long ago, leaving a message for other members of the household would often involve sticking a note on the fridge and hoping they saw it. Now that just about everybody has a mobile phone, hastily scribbled notes have given way to hastily thumbed text messages or a quick voice, or even video call. Native Union is looking to somehow combine the almost lost art of not-so-instant messaging with the more modern video call with its Play video memo pad.

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