iPad users no longer have to lament the crappy speakers, and lightweight form factor, of their tablet when enjoying videos or music sans headphones. Belkin is promising to turn the iPad into a portable home theatre with an add-on set of boosted speakers, or at least that’s what one assumes from a product called the Thunderstorm Handheld Home theatre.
Available in February for $US200, the Thunderstorm will come in both Dock Connector and Lightning versions and features a set of front-facing speakers that supposedly project “cinematic-quality” sound. You’re probably not going to get an experience similar to your local movie theatre, but thanks to strategically placed air channels in the case that increase airflow, it will probably sound magnitudes better than the iPad’s built-in set. The case also comes with an accompanying iOS app that lets you tweak the Thunderstorm’s sound through various presets — movies, music, games, etc. — and a built-in Apple-esque magnetic smart cover with extra creases so it can be folded to support the iPad in landscape or portrait orientations. [Belkin]