Looking for a quality Bluetooth speaker that sounds good, supports the latest tech and isn’t super expensive? Well, the team over at iClever sent me several of their gadgets to test out and the one I’m probably most impressed with is the Bluetooth wireless speaker.
Size & Design
The first thing that struck me about the speaker was the size. It’s a tiny little speaker that fits easily into your hand. It was also small enough to fit into my jacket pocket, which was convenient when I took it for walks in the forest with my kids. The exact size is 2.75 inches tall by 2.5 inches (length & width).
For review purposes, the size will make it very easy to take with you anywhere. The other big plus is that it looks really nice. It’s all black with a blue band through the center. The sides have some kind of glossy surface, which makes it a bit shiny.
The only problem with the glossy sides is that your fingerprints remain on the unit and you will need to constantly clean it if you have oily or clammy hands. The speaker is on the top of the unit, so all the sound comes out from there.
On the front of the unit is one button, which controls Bluetooth and phone calls. If we flip the unit over, you’ll see the rest of the controls. You have three buttons to control music and volume.
In addition, you have an On/Off switch, which helps save battery life. In terms of weight, the unit is definitely less than a pound. According to the documentation, it’s close to 9 ounces. The only other small issue I noticed in terms of design is that the bottom uses a rubber material, which collects a lot of dust and dirt. Luckily, you can just take a wet paper towel and wipe it to clean it off.
Functionality & Ease of Use
So what can this little speaker do? Well, it’s main function is to connect to any device that supports Bluetooth and act as an external speaker. When I got the speaker, I wanted to see if I could set it up without having to read the instructions.
That’s usually my test on how intuitive a company makes their products. After flipping the switch to On, I figured I would have to press and hold the button on the front to enter pairing mode. Thankfully, that’s exactly how it works. The button will begin to flash and then you can go to your tablet/smartphone/device and connect to the speaker.
Above, I connected the speaker to my iPhone 6S Plus by simply tapping on it. The nice thing about the speaker is that you don’t need to type in any password or anything else to connect via Bluetooth. Once connected, audio from your device will now come through the speaker.
Depending on your device and what level of Bluetooth it supports, all audio may be routed through the device. For example, when using my Nexus 6 and iPhone 6S Plus, every sound generated on the phone was piped through to the speaker. This included all audio from any app that I used, phone calls, FaceTime calls, music, etc.
In addition, on any kind of call, you have to talk to the speaker and not your phone. The speaker has a built-in mic and the speaker on the phone would deactivate automatically when connected to the Bluetooth speaker. This actually works out well because you can listen and talk directly to the speaker rather than having to talk into your phone and listen via the speaker.
I was able to leave my phone on my desk and walk around the house with the speaker while on a phone call. Obviously, you can just do that with your phone too, but this speaker is definitely louder than a phone speaker. The only downside here is that you have to keep the speaker within about 2 feet of your face, otherwise no one can hear you clearly.
In terms of specs, the speaker supports Bluetooth version 4.0, A2Dp, AVRCP, HFE and HFP. It’s also worth noting that you can only connect one device to the speaker at a time. Once connected to a device, it will automatically reconnect to that device when you turn the speaker back on.
If you do not use the speaker for a certain amount of time (15 minutes), it will automatically power off, which is definitely a required feature for a device of this type. However, this only occurs when the device is on, but not paired with any other device. If you leave it on and it remains paired to your phone, etc., then it seems to remain on and the battery will run out much faster.
Luckily, the buttons on the bottom are also designed intuitively. For example, if you are listening to music and you press the next song button, it will load the next song. However, that button is also the increase volume button. Well, I tried holding down the button instead of just pressing it and sure enough, I started hearing beeps and the volume getting louder.
In terms of the battery, which is a 500mAh lithium-polymer battery, the device lasts a surprisingly long time. I wasn’t able to test it from full charge to dead while continuously playing music, but the device lasted for several days on one charge with a few hours of usage per day. It should be noted that I always turned the device off manually when I was not using it.
In terms of charging, the battery takes several hours to charge, which is to be expected. The speaker comes with a USB to micro-USB cable, which you can connect to your computer for charging. You can also just purchase a power adapter if you want to charge it faster from a wall outlet.
Other useful features include the Line-in or AUX port on the back. If you have a music player or want audio piped from a device that doesn’t support Bluetooth, but has a 3.5 mm audio jack, then this feature comes in really handy.
Sound Quality
Lastly, but not to be forgotten, is the sound quality! Obviously, when you’re spending $25 for something, it’s not going to blow you away like a Bose speaker would, but it’s also not costing you a fortune.
The speaker has a 5W driver, which delivers pretty decent sound for such a tiny little device. I was quite impressed with the quality of the sound overall. According to the manual, the frequency range is 90Hz to 18Khz, which sounds about accurate.
Depending on what kind of music you listen to, the sound quality will vary. For example, music with a lot of highs sounds excellent, but music with more mids doesn’t sound as good. The bass is good, but obviously with any speaker of this size, you’ll get some of that “muddied” sound.
Outside of that issue, the speaker is VERY loud. I blasted this thing at full volume on the speaker and on my phone and I literally had to step away because it was hurting my ears. The sound was also not as distorted as I thought it would be at such a high volume.
Conclusion
Overall, I would give this Bluetooth speaker a 9 out of 10 when comparing it to other similarly-priced speakers. The size, build-quality, sound-quality, sleek design and features make it one of the best portable speakers for this price.
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If you don’t have a full-sized printing machine at home and often need to print a document on the go, check out the Newyes portable printer . This wireless printer is lightweight and small enough to fit in your bag. Not to mention it’s environmentally friendly, since it uses thermal paper instead of ink.
Follow our review of the Newyes portable wireless thermal printer to see if it suits your printing needs.
Newyes Portable Wireless Thermal A4 Printer: First Impressions & Specs
When I was a student, I remember my university always required hard copies of documents. Luckily, there was a print shop on campus where I could always pop in to print something.
Then I became a professional, and to my surprise many life spheres still required me to have printed versions of documents with me. Of course you can get your own full-sized machine to print things at home, but if like me you live in a small apartment, you value every extra bit of space and don’t want a massive printer to take it up.
One day, when I was looking for a neighbor with a printer to help me with my event tickets, they introduced me to the concept of a portable printer. Seeing how easy it is to use, I immediately wanted to get my hands on one of those. So here I am, reviewing one of the most useful gadgets I received recently – the Newyes portable thermal printer.
Before we continue with this review, here is the full list of specs of this printer.
- Model: Newyes LD0801
- Dimensions: 10.4 x 1.2 x 2.28 in (265 x 58 x 30.5 mm)
- Weight: 16.8oz (475g)
- Paper format: A4
- Paper width: 210mm or 218mm
- Printing Type: thermal paper
- Resolution: 203DPI
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
- Charging port: USB type-C port
- Input Voltage: DC 5V / 2A
- Battery: 1200mAh lithium battery
- Charging time: 75 min
- Automatic shut down: after 30 minutes
- Stand-by: about 30 days
- Extra features: LED light, reset, on / off switch button
- Color: white, black
- Warranty: limited one year warranty
- Price: $199 on the Newyes website
If you find yourself in need of hard copies of important documents while on the move, the Newyes portable wireless thermal printer will become your go-to gadget. Newyes calls it “the world’s smallest printer”, and with the weight of under 500g this seems plausible. This mini printer offers a handy solution for those moments when you need to quickly print an important document but don’t have access to an office setup.
Operating this printer is a breeze – a simple Bluetooth connection is all that’s required. Once connected, just fire up the app, choose the file you want to print, and send it over. Efficiency is at the forefront, and you can easily print multiple sheets by inserting new pages back to back.
The only limitation this printer has is that it can only print in black. So even if your original file is in color, the printed document will still come out in black and white. Other than that – you can print a variety of file types including Excel, Word, PDF, JPG, PNG, and web pages – and it only takes seconds.
The Newyes portable wireless printer combines convenience, portability, and efficiency – all the things I appreciate in a modern gadget.
Design and Unpacking
Let’s have a closer look at the design and build of this smart printer, as well as what you get included in the package when you purchase it.
What’s in the Box
Here’s everything you’ll find when unpacking your Newyes portable thermal printer:
- The Newyes portable wireless thermal printer
- Bracket
- USB type-C cable
- Storage/carrying pouch
- 100pcs thermal printing paper
- User manual
You can use the Newyes portable printer right out of the box, as you’re all set with essential accessories. Aside from the printer itself, the package includes a bracket which will make printing more than one page smoother, a convenient storage bag for carrying your printer with you, a USB-C cable for charging, and a supply of 100 pieces of thermal paper to get you started.
One important thing to remember is that this printer only works with thermal paper. While thermal paper is significantly more expensive than normal paper, this printer also uses inkless printing and works without a ribbon and toner. Since you don’t have to spend money on ink, carbon ribbons or toner cartridges, you ultimately end up saving money with thermal paper.
The Newyes LD0801 is a pocket-sized printer that features straightforward design. For the purpose of this review, I had a printer in white color. The printer looks like a small white brick with just two pressable buttons on top – one for switching it on and off, and another for opening the printer’s cover. You’ll also see the paper entry slot on top of the printer.
On the side of the printer, you’ll find a single charging port.
The printer is made of plastic, but the build feels sturdy. I never have to worry about throwing it into my bag or damaging it when traveling. Besides, you can use a nice carrying pouch included in the package for protection.
Performance & Features
According to Newyes, the portable printer has a “handheld size and two times the weight of an iPhone”. This can give you an idea of how portable and convenient this little gadget is. In a month of testing, I used it at home, in a store, and even in a car while on the road.
Using the printer is unbelievably easy. Connect it to your mobile phone via Bluetooth, press the button to turn the printer on and put a sheet of thermal paper into the paper entry slot. Make sure to use thermal paper and not standard paper, and put it with the black marks facing down. Bear in mind that the thermal printer can only print in black and white and only on one (marked) side of the thermal paper sheet.
Then open the iPrint app on your smartphone. If you’re printing an A4 document, you can select one of two options – Photo Printing and Document Printing . Then choose the document from your phone’s files and print it.
The printer is reliable and in the time that I used it the Newyes LD0801 never let me down. The printing quality will surprise you, as it’s sometimes better than what you get from a full-sized printer. The printer supports printing in various formats, and you can use it to print documents from your smartphone (Android and iPhone), iPad, and Android tablet.
When fully charged, the printer can support up to 90 pieces of paper continuously, which is very impressive for a gadget of such a small size.
Software
The Newyes portable printer requires an iPrint app to operate. The app is available for free on iOS and Android. You’ll need to download the app on your device from the App Store or Google Play before you begin printing your documents.
The app has a simple and user-friendly design. You’ll need to pair your device with the printer on the first use via Bluetooth.
Depending on the type of document you want to print, you can choose different options from the app. There’s photo printing, document printing, web printing, and banner printing.
The app also has Materials and Template sections, where you can find various pictures and templates for printing to-do lists, post-its and holiday cards. You can also use the Newyes LD0801 as a label printer using these templates.
Battery Life
The Newyes portable wireless thermal printer is equipped with a decent 1200mAh lithium battery. This high-capacity battery allows you to print on the go without constantly worrying about running out of charge. When I received the printer, I charged it fully once, and it still hasn’t run out of battery after one month of use (I use it to print something almost every other day).
Charging this printer is quick and takes just over an hour to charge the printer from zero to full. The type-C charging cable facilitates a rapid charging experience. And if you run out of battery while on the go, you can quickly charge the printer from a portable power station or a power bank to continue printing.
The printer doesn’t support wireless charging, so I’d recommend always bringing the usb-c cable with you just in case.
Should You Buy the Newyes Portable Wireless Thermal Printer?
The Newyes portable thermal printer ensures high-quality wireless printing while on the go and easy operation. It’s not the most budget-friendly option, but this purchase will save you money and nerves in the long run thanks to its versatility and portable nature.
Personally, I can say that this printer made my life easier. So much that it’s probably my favorite smart gadget of the year. If you’re looking for a portable printer that won’t take any space in your house, I’d certainly recommend considering the Newyes LD0801 model.
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