One of the issues holding Auracast back from wider mainstream use is some companies’ lack of support for the Bluetooth technology — Apple being a prime example. With iOS having 58 percent of the market share in North America and nearly 28 percent worldwide, a decision by Apple to enable native Auracast support would potentially put millions of Auracast devices into the world with a firmware update. As of yet, Apple has made no comment on Auracast, and I’m not hopeful that we’ll get one anytime soon.
But the audio technology company Atitan thinks it has the solution. It’s developing a small disc-shaped transceiver — the splitR — that can attach to an iPhone’s MagSafe and turn it into an Auracast device capable of either transmitting or receiving an Auracast broadcast. The company’s connectR app, which will be available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play this coming summer, will allow you to see broadcasts around you, your connected devices, and create your own Auracast channels or group listening sessions. You’ll be able to interact with all of your streaming platforms to play songs and playlists. Atitan is adding in a social component, too, allowing posts and chats with friends.
The splitR isn’t meant just for an Apple device, though. While the device will fit a MagSafe connection (although the early version I saw was still a little small for one), you can connect any non-Auracast product to it with a USB-C or 3.5mm cable to give that device Auracast capability. And Atitan tells me the next iteration will be able to pair wirelessly to translate a classic Bluetooth connection into a Bluetooth LE Auracast transmission.
The splitR can connect to a speaker to play content from your phone or Auracast-capable TV, or your turntable setup to send an Auracast broadcast out to play on headphones or speakers. If you get enough splitR transceivers, you could create an entire whole-home Auracast system. And unlike some Auracast-compatible companies that restrict their devices to work only within their ecosystem, the splitR broadcasts are open to any Auracast headphones or speakers allowed to receive them.
What I saw during my demo at CES was encouraging. Beyond sharing music broadcasts with friends, Auracast has the potential to help those in need of hearing assistance, either while out and about at concerts, airports, church, or lectures or just at home watching TV. The more Auracast can get into products — either natively or with adapters like the splitR — the more its accessibility uses become mainstream.
Other Auracast transmitters on the market that I have tried can be clunky to use, but the Atitan team is invested in making a product that’s easy to use and brings all your services and devices together in a single app. The company will be launching a Kickstarter campaign in the next few months for the splitR transceiver and currently has a waitlist for the connectR app.
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John.Higgins