BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mobile World Congress 2018 – HARMAN International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. focused on connected technologies for automotive, consumer and enterprise market, today introduced the Harman Kardon Astra. This intelligent speaker with Amazon Alexa Voice Service, features an elegant design and 360-degree omni-directional sound field. The Astra is being launched in partnership with Brightstar.
By combining a superior listening experience with a premium look and feel, as well as Alexa’s smart voice technology, the Astra brings music lovers a rich, first-class listening experience. Incorporating three 1.75” full-range transducers, three .75” dome tweeters and two passive radiators, the Astra delivers full-bandwidth room filling sound. Whether placed in the kitchen to create a relaxing soundtrack while cooking or retrieving the latest news in a home office, Astra fills any room of the home with beautiful, 360-degree Harman Kardon performance.
“The Harman Kardon Astra is the latest voice agent product from HARMAN and solidifies our leadership in the space,” said David Owens, Vice President Business Development at Harman. “Launching this as a Brightstar exclusive gives Harman the opportunity to reach new channels and customers around the globe.”
For those looking to listen to the latest podcast, receive an updated weather report, or control smart home enabled devices including lights, thermostats, and more, the Astra’s hands-free voice commands are ideal. Proprietary far-field voice technology allows the speaker to hear commands effortlessly whether at home, in a hotel or at the office, even in noisy environments.
“We're delighted to continue bringing exclusive and innovative products, such as the Harman Kardon Astra with Amazon Alexa,” said Khalid Zitouni, Vice President, Global Gear at Brightstar. “With our channel partners we’re reaching global markets and a large customer base expanding the HARMAN brand.”
KEY FEATURES
- Powered by Amazon Alexa Voice Service: Connect to Alexa through dual-band Wi-Fi, just ask and Alexa will provide information, place an order, play music and more. It’s always getting smarter and adding new features with more than 20,000 Alexa skills.
- Far-field Voice Recognition: Built-in 4-microphone array with advanced noise cancellation technology allows for hands-free voice control from across the room.
- 360-Degree Sound: With three x 1.75” drivers, three .75” tweeters, and 2 passive radiators, the Astra produces 360-degrees of beautiful sound that fills up every corner of the room.
- Wireless Bluetooth Streaming: Dual-band Wi-Fi supports 2.4 and 5 GHz networks with up to 96kHz/24bits of Wi-Fi audio to stream room-filling music from any mobile device via Bluetooth.
Harman Kardon Astra with Amazon Alexa will be available for purchase starting Spring/Summer 2018 via Brightstar channels as well as on www.harmankardon.com and www.amazon.com.
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About Brightstar
Brightstar is the world’s largest specialized wireless distributor and a leading provider of diversified services focused on enhancing the performance and results of the key participants in the wireless device value chain: manufacturers, operators and retailers. For more information, please visit http://www.brightstarcorp.com.
About The SoftBank Group
The SoftBank Group comprises of the pure holding company SoftBank Corp. (TSE:9984) and its subsidiaries and affiliates that offer a comprehensive range of mobile communications, fixed-line communications and Internet services. With Sprint joining in July 2013, the SoftBank Group became a leading global carrier. Maximizing synergies across its Group companies worldwide, SoftBank aspires to realize lifestyle innovation through IT. The SoftBank Group is also encouraging the adoption of clean and safe energy through its business activities. To learn more, please visit http://www.softbank.jp/en/corp/
About HARMAN
HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 50 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In March 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
© 2018 HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson are trademarks of HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated, registered in the United States and/or other countries. AKG is a trademark of AKG Acoustics GmbH, registered in the United States and/or other countries. Features, specifications, and appearance are subject to change without notice.
