With remote work now more normalized than ever, speakerphones like the AnkerWork S600 can be a solid way to improve the quality of audio calls no matter your environment. The S600, however, takes things a step further by adding AI to the mix, which picks up individual voices and blocks out unneeded noise.
The S600 is currently available as part of a Kickstarter, where you can back the device for a limited early bird price of $113. The regular price will eventually be around $180 when sold through retailers and Anker's website, based on the discount percentage AnkerWork has listed on its Kickstarter. That’s a nice deal if you’re in need of a speakerphone with these capabilities, but is the AI actually worth it? I think so.
AI that isn’t just a gimmick
While there are certainly other Bluetooth speakers and speakerphones out there, some of which can block out background noise like barking dogs, the S600 stands out as one of the first speakerphones to ship with AI-powered voiceprint recognition. This tech uses built-in algorithms and neural networks to hone in on a specific person's voice, cutting off the noise from everything else.
It’s an ambitious pitch, but actually works surprisingly well. I tested it out across a number of calls in different environments, including outside, in the kitchen, in a smaller echoey room, and in an office where background noise was pretty constant.
The voiceprint technology was able to quickly pick up on my voice and the voices of those around me. There were two ways it worked to cut down background noise: First, it muted microphones that I wasn't speaking into. Second, it applied noise cancellation to audio sources that weren't me. The end result didn't mask everything, but did make everything sound cleaner.
While noise cancellation isn't new, the ability to quickly identify audio sources is. AnkerWork claims that the VoiceRadar 3.5 technology in the S600 can identify more than 300 different types of background noises, and it definitely seemed to do a solid job in the environments where I tested, although it was impossible for me to test every possible scenario. There's also echo cancellation, which helped me out when testing in a small room, and should be nice for cramped home offices.
Design and portability
The S600 is very portable, thanks to a minimalist design. While my unit was a pre-release model, I was told it should be identical to the real thing. Essentially, the S600 almost looks like someone turned a coffee shop cup on its head, then added speakers and a few buttons to it. It’s a simple enough design that doesn’t distract too much from the functionality that it offers. There are only two physical buttons—one for power and one for pairing to your devices with Bluetooth. It also has a few touch controls that let you pause or play music, accept and reject calls, change volume levels, and even mute the sound or sample someone’s voiceprint.
The S600 also features two USB-C ports, one for charging the internal battery, which Ankerwork claims offers up to 16 hours of life, and a port that lets you connect it to a device directly, such as a computer or smartphone. The device is topped with a hinged MagSafe Qi2 wireless charger that can charge your phone with up to 15W while you’re taking calls. The charger can move up to 70 degrees, so you can position your phone in a comfortable spot for video calls or whatever else you need it for.
The S600's speakers encircle the device, with four microphones at the base to capture noise and voices in 360 degrees around it. Music playback is okay, but the lack of any real bass will likely have you reaching for a more music-oriented speaker.
A speakerphone that delivers
Overall, I was very impressed with the S600. Having received the device early, I did have to jump through a few hoops to install a beta version of the software to fully utilize the voiceprint technology, but after that was done, the initial setup was actually very easy to follow. Final units shouldn't have to jump through these hoops.
By the way, don't worry about security with this device. Everything it records, including your voiceprint, is stored entirely on the speakerphone and never goes to the cloud.
Pairing my smartphone with the speakerphone was easy, and changing the volume and other settings through touch controls was a breeze, too. I didn’t experience any connection issues while using the speakerphone, and the quality is more than clear enough for any important business calls you might need to take.
The device itself is fairly attractive, if not a bit simplistic, so you don’t have to worry about it being an eyesore on your desk, either. Plus, the ability to charge your phone directly while using the device is handy. If you take a lot of calls on your phone, then the AnkerWork S600 will make a great addition to your everyday work gear. Units will start shipping after the Kickstarter campaign ends on May 20.
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