JBL’s first AirPlay-capable dock has launched on Tuesday. The On Air pipes audio wirelessly from any iOS 4.2 or later iPad, iPod or iPhone, as well as the iTunes library on Macs and Windows PCs. The dock comes just in time for iOS 4.3 and will have the full range of AirPlay sources.
A color LCD is the centerpiece and shows the album art, track metadata, as well as a more visual navigation than usual on iOS device docks. The on-device controls skip through any source, including a cradled iPhone or iPod.
JBL gives the On Air the same clock radio functions as the On Time series and supports extras such as dual alarms, FM radio with RDS support for station data, and ten presets. A USB port exists but is only to update the firmware, not link the On Air to a computer for device syncing. The design’s signature circular ring shape remains to help create a wider stereo field in real-world conditions despite the one-piece shape.
JBL hasn’t committed to a price or anything more than a spring release schedule, but it’s currently taking sign-ups for notifications.
