There are now slightly more Bluetooth speakers than there are people on the planet, but B&O Play continues to innovate in the field.
Its latest portable Bluetooth speaker the P2 is made of beautifully smooth, machined, 'pearl blasted' aluminium, with a leather cord so you can walk around, swinging it insouciantly, or attach it to your stylish backpack.
We haven't actually heard the P2 yet, but we have touched it and let us tell you, it is SMOOTH. All the buttons have been removed, apart from an on/off, and even that is hidden beneath the B&O logo on the back, while the surface is like a pebble that's been washed smooth by the sea.
Continuing the beach theme, it comes in three beautiful colours: a rich, azure blue, 'sand' and, not continuing the beach theme, unless there's been an oil slick, black. Ironically, it is not waterproof, however, though it will stand up to mild moisturising.
Playing and pausing tracks is done via a tap on the smooth, sinuous surface of the P2, while track-skipping is achieved via a shake. There's a mic so you can use it to take calls or access your favoured mobile AI pal who's fun to be with.
As we haven't actually heard the P2 yet, because we spent all our time with it rubbing its surface and panting, we can only pass on B&O's own description, which is that it is 'rich and spacious with a 360-degree dispersion'.
The anodized aluminium cone mid-range driver is a smaller variant on the one found in the Beoplay A1, while the tweeter is the same ¾” fabric soft dome used in the same speaker, 'assuring excellent detail and smooth reproduction of the highest frequencies.'
Amplification is provided by two Class D Amps, 'with a peak power of more than 2X50 watts'.
It's a safe bet that the P2 will sound great for its size, given its pedigree, but we'll give a more precise update on that when we get our one tomorrow.
This is also the most affordable Bang & Olufsen product ever, costing just £149.