One of the most impressive iPad and iPhone accessories I saw at CES was Invoxia's NVX 610. This unique product offers voice-over-IP calling, a corporate-quality speakerphone, and great speakers for music playback. It's a beautiful device -- one of the few third-party accessories that could pass for an Apple product -- and works very well from what I was shown. However, it's easy to mistake the NVX 610 for something that it's not. Read on for some original pictures, details, and first impressions of the NVX 610.
Unlike most iOS telephony accessories, the NVX 610 is meant to be used with an ethernet connection. It also requires the use of Invoxia's iOS app. Through the app, the hardware can be set up as a Skype or SIP phone. Once it's set up, the unit can receive calls placed to your Skype or SIP number. Through the iOS app, calls and contacts can be managed. The app and hardware are compatible with the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. Naturally, if any of your iOS devices receives a call the NVX 610 can be used to answer it. As someone that uses Skype for business, I appreciate that the hardware works with Skype accounts and mobile phone numbers.
The NVX 610 is also a high-quality speakerphone that uses In Vivo Acoustic technology. I'm talking about expensive corporate-level stuff, like Polycom speakerphones. It has eight microphones and eight speakers, allowing multiple voices to be picked up and heard. During the demo, I was shown how the multi-mic and multi-speaker setup worked and was very impressed with the results. With its impressive speakerphone capabilities, the NVX 610 is a compelling option for small offices; being able to function as a quality speakerphone and a quality VoIP phone gives it some nice versatility.
Going into the meeting, I was mostly interested in the NVX 610 as a telephony device. With that in mind, I was surprised by the quality of the speakers. I was played several songs by The Beatles during the demo and was taken aback by the sound quality. I wasn't expecting such great sound from a device geared towards office use. The great speakers on the NVX 610 add some sweet entertainment options (for when you're goofing off with music and movies on your iPad instead of working).
I was expecting the Invoxia NVX 610 to be a nice VoIP tool that's well designed and works with numerous iOS devices. It's definitely all that...and a whole lot more. Initially, I was alarmed by the the $599 price tag, but after hearing the speakerphone, the price is more understandable; Polycom's high-end speakerphones cost as much or more. In addition to its VoIP and speakerphone capabilities, the NVX 610 offers surprisingly great entertainment options for music and movies. It's a versatile and unique product, but I want to spend more time seeing how it works as a phone before making any judgements. Stay tunes for a full review in the near future.
