Marshall is already an established name in the field of
audio technology with its popular line of speakers, guitar amplifiers and other
equipment. And now, it’s trying to make some buzz in the smartphone world with
its announcement of London – its audio-friendly smartphone.
In terms of performance, the London is quite underwhelming
for its price tag. The innards is made up of a Snapdragon chip with 2GB of RAM
and 16GB of expandable onboard storage. It also has a 4.7-inch 720p IPS
display, a 2500mAh battery, an 8MP+2MP camera combo and runs on Android 5.0.2
Lollipop.
Regardless of its mid-range specs, the main focus of the
London is its promise to deliver impeccable audio as a smartphone. The handset
has a dedicated Wolfson WM8281 audio hub that delivers high quality sound and
support for lossless audio.
The phone also comes with powerful system-wide equalizer
plus a number of audio-centric apps. Some parts of the hardware has also been
changed to make the audio experience even more worthwhile. For instance, the
volume rocker has been replaced with a scroll wheel so users can precisely
control volume levels.
The London also has two front-facing speakers and two
separate audio jacks that works nicely with other Marshall equipment. There’s
also a dedicated M-button at the top that delivers one-click access to music
stored on the device.
Marshall is now accepting pre-orders for the London and
expects to ship the handset by mid-August. As for the price, the phone will be
offered for around $585, which is surely a bargain for those who have
previously purchased Marshall products.
