Gum Rock Bluetooth Portable Suction Speaker/Stand

b2The Gum Rock Bluetooth speaker is quite an interesting addition to the wireless race. Convenience is a highly sort after commodity these days as well as novelty – and the Gum Rock receives 2 ticks for these. It’s small and light; and; cute and brightly colored. Of course, it’s useful in an innovative sort of way too. We have reason to believe that this knobby-looking device will surprise you in more ways than one.

What it is

As its name suggests, it is a Bluetooth speaker that doubles as a stand. It is portable and will stick onto any imaginable smooth surface.  Along with its built-in microphone, it also serves as a hands-free calling set.

What it Features

Built-in Bluetooth 3.0

Majority devices today are Bluetooth capable. It allows you to connect with other Bluetooth enabled devices you may own at close proximity. You’ll be able to share photos, music, documents and other data between them easily and without much fuss. No special software or equipment is required for devices to communicate with one another.  The Gum Rock features Bluetooth 3.0 with active pairing and a 35-foot range.

Portability

It’s small at 2.3 inches high and 2.6 inches wide, and super light weighing just over 3 ounces. That’s compact enough to fit your pocket, be that your trousers or handbag. Being wire-free makes it even more hassle-free to carry around and to use where you see fit. The entire exterior is soft rubber which means that it can take rough treatment, albeit not totally waterproof.b4

Versatility

The back of the Gum Rock is a suction cup. It will attach onto your phone, tablet, laptop, desk, mirror, windows, wall tiles, shower glass and kitchen splashback. Heck, if you’re bald, it will even stick onto your head. When stuck onto the back, it double-functions as a stand for your phone or tablet.

High Performance

This little knobby speaker features a 40mm speaker. If you’re thinking nothing good can come out of something that small, we beg to differ. For its size, the Gum Rock produces excellent bass and mids for audio playback. Used in phone calls, the voice clarity is outstanding. The only thing some users experience is stuttering of sound with music streaming. We suspect this a chipset issue with the paired Bluetooth device rather than the speaker itself.

Hands-Freeb3

The integrated microphone allows you to use the speaker as a hands-free calling tool as well.  This makes it particularly useful for use with conference calling applications such as Skype, Google Talk, iChat and more. Its main function though is still a speaker. So the hands-free performance is not really its strength.

Rechargeable Battery

The built-in rechargeable lithium battery is 450mAh, giving you 8 hours of wireless playback time before needing a charge. Charging is via mini USB and a full recharge takes 2 to 3 hours.

User-Friendly

The Gum Rock Bluetooth speaker is really easy to use. A simple button interface allows you to navigate and control your music. Skip tracks back and forth, and control the volume level of your music however you want without having to go back to your streaming device.

What You Get in the Box

  • 1 x Gum Rock Bluetooth Portable Speaker Suction Speaker Stand
  • 1 x Micro USB charging cableb1

Conclusion

The Gum Rock is a good speaker with decent sound quality that is surprising loud for its size. The soft rubber housing somewhat protects it especially with rough handling, and makes it easy to wipe clean. Its built-in suction cup in particular is what won us over.  No other personal speaker is so versatile that it can be used not just on desk tops but even on walls, windows, and even ceilings.

You can find these from our friends at MobileFun.com and there is a whole category of audio devices there as well.