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Samsung's first portable Bluetooth speaker pairs with NFC, can be wireless sound bar

Samsung announced its first-ever portable Bluetooth speaker at CES 2013, featuring the apt-X codec and NFC pairing.

Headshot of Matthew Moskovciak
Headshot of Matthew Moskovciak
Matthew Moskovciak Senior Associate Editor / Reviews - Home theater
Covering home audio and video, Matthew Moskovciak helps CNET readers find the best sights and sounds for their home theaters.
Matthew Moskovciak
Samsung embraced Bluetooth and AirPlay speakers in a big way last year with the gorgeous DA-E750 and its sister products, but surprisingly the company hasn't rolled out a portable Bluetooth speaker -- until today.

The Samsung DA-F60 is the company's first entrant to the booming portable Bluetooth speaker market. It features the apt-X codec, which offers better sound quality if your tablet or smartphone supports it. It also supports NFC (near-field communication), which makes it slightly easier to pair with compatible phones.

The DA-F60 is compatible with Samsung's SoundShare platform, which means it can be used as a TV speaker with certain Samsung TVs by wirelessly connecting over Bluetooth. (Although judging from the size of the speaker, I can't imagine it would sound great.) The DA-F60 does have a built-in battery, but Samsung hasn't provided an estimate of battery life.

The DA-F60 is scheduled to come out in the first half of 2013. Pricing has not been announced.