With the kick-off of BlackBerry World tomorrow, RIM is expected to introduce a number of new products, initiatives and, ultimately, its future.
But with the BlackBerry Music Gateway they’re sticking with what they know best: simple and powerful hardware that just works. To that end the Gateway is a small box (60mm x 40mm x 12.5mm, 28g) that connects to your home/car system or A/V receiver and communicates via Bluetooth to transmit a music stream from up to 30 feet away.
Compatible with the PlayBook and a number of BlackBerry devices (Bold 9900, Bold 9790, Curve 9380, Curve 9360, Bold 9981), the Gateway is NFC-enabled for easy Bluetooth pairing. The whole idea is to play music from your BlackBerry device and use the phone or tablet as an interactive remote control, sort of like how Sonos operates its mobile apps, or how AirPlay allows you to control your music from your iPhone or iPad. It is compatible with any BlackBerry music app, including 7Digital, Slacker Radio and BBM Music.
The Gateway is powered by microUSB and connects to the stereo through either an included 3.5mm headphone cable or regular RCA connector.
Shipping soon, the Gateway will be available in June for $49.99
Update: RIM has sent out a press release and announced that the BlackBerry Music Gateway is now available. Price is still $49.99 (USD) and ships “within 7-14 business days.”
More over at RIM.
