This $60 gadget is about to change the way I fly forever

I really like miniature

gadgets
that pack a useful punch, and I am all the time looking out for distinctive units that resolve issues at an inexpensive value level. By all accounts, Twelve South’s lately launched $60 AirFly Professional 2 is one such machine. With dimensions of solely 2.23 x 1.14 x 0.44-inches (56.6 x 29 x 11.2mm), and tipping the scales at simply 0.58 oz (16.5 g), the Professional 2 is a small and light-weight product that brings

Bluetooth
5.3 connectivity to non-Bluetooth-enabled electronics. As with earlier AirFly fashions, the Professional 2 works by plugging into a daily 3.5mm headphone jack, thereby serving as a facilitator of wi-fi audio. The peripheral is rechargeable

via USB-C
, and it may be linked to 2 separate wi-fi earphones or audio system on the identical time.

Out of the field, the AirFly Professional 2 comes with a USB-A to USB-C charging cable, in addition to a drawstring-style cloth carrying case. The principle unit itself is obtainable in a single shiny white colorway, which inserts in effectively with the aesthetic of assorted Apple-branded peripherals like

AirPods
. For $10 additional, an AirFly Professional 2 Deluxe set may be bought, which comes with a extra premium fake suede carrying case, in addition to a global airline adapter (to make fast work of these pesky two-pronged headphone jacks discovered on some planes).

I’ve lately gotten the prospect to place the AirFly Professional 2 to the take a look at, and, regardless of no air journey plans in my quick future, I can already inform this tiny gadget

will come with me
when the time comes for my subsequent transcontinental journey. Because it seems, I’ve additionally efficiently carved out a distinct segment use case for the Professional 2 whereas at residence: as a lover of all issues retro, Twelve South has created a product of immense worth to me in my on a regular basis home life (extra on this in a bit).

I can not wait to make use of this gadget on my subsequent flight

The AirFly Professional 2 has already earned everlasting fixture standing inside my journey bag

For me, the worth of boarding an airplane with

an AirFly product
in my arsenal of journey gear is self-evident. I all the time commute with a pair of wi-fi earbuds or headphones stowed in my journey bag, and it is irritating not to have the ability to use them with the in-flight leisure panels mounted to the again of each passenger seat on most fashionable plane. Solely a choose few airways at present incorporate Bluetooth into their leisure panels, and so they’re far and few between. The remainder of the time, I’ve discovered myself on the mercy of old school wired cans to stream films and TV reveals whereas jetting above the Atlantic.

That is the place the AirFly Professional 2 is available in — it serves as an middleman machine for grafting wi-fi connectivity onto non-Bluetooth-compatible units. When plugged into the

3.5mm headphone jack
discovered subsequent to most in-flight leisure shows (or in some instances, by the seat armrest), it out of the blue unlocks the power to sync and play audio wirelessly from the show over to any set of Bluetooth earphones. The Professional 2 may be linked to 2 audio units concurrently, eradicating the necessity to lug round an old school auxiliary cable splitter whereas co-consuming media with a good friend, member of the family, or accomplice.

With the AirFly Professional 2, which is Twelve South’s newest incarnation of the AirFly product line, the corporate has considerably improved on the wi-fi pairing course of itself. Bluetooth may be temperamental at instances, and so I am pleased with the inclusion of a devoted on/off button for rapidly getting into into pairing mode. In my very own expertise, the syncing course of took solely a matter of seconds, no matter which speaker or earbuds I linked it to. All sides of the Professional 2’s physique includes a sync button: One facet homes the Pair 1 button, whereas the opposite hosts Pair 2.

Twelve South has additionally embedded devoted quantity controls into the physique of the Professional 2, which is a pleasant quality-of-life addition over earlier era fashions. The brand new battery standing indicator is equally helpful, and the delicate design refinements (just like the color-matched headphone jack accents) are a lot appreciated. The textured buttons are straightforward to find in dimly lit settings, although I do discover myself wishing they supplied a extra tactile clicking sensation.

If the AirFly Professional 2 had an insufficient battery life, or if it required a proprietary charger to high up, I might have thought twice earlier than welcoming it into my always-ready journey bag. Fortunately, its 25+ hour stamina gives greater than sufficient headroom for even the lengthiest air voyages, and its USB-C top-up technique is extremely handy in at the moment’s day and age. Contemplating how light-weight the Professional 2 is, and the way

I can use my existing phone charger
to recharge it as wanted, I have been successfully satisfied that I am going to by no means stroll down a jet bridge with out this accent by my facet ever once more.

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I take advantage of the AirFly Professional 2 to breathe new life into my retro gizmos and devices

Apart from air journey, Twelve South pitches the AirFly Professional 2 as the proper machine for introducing a Bluetooth connection into the combination whereas out on a highway journey, or throughout a exercise session. With the flip of a change from TX (Transmit Mode) over to RX (Obtain Mode), you’ll be able to join the Professional 2 to a automobile’s AUX-in port, permitting you to blast wi-fi tunes even when your car’s stereo would not natively help doing so. Many industrial train machines — together with treadmills and elliptical trainers — function headphone jacks and mini TV panels of their very own, making TX mode a genuinely helpful addition to have whereas on the fitness center, too.

Personally, I selected to get inventive with my at-home AirFly 2 Professional testing. As a lover of retro tech, I wasted no time in plugging the gadget into older merchandise I had mendacity round, together with a Sony Walkman, an unique Nintendo DS, and a

5th generation iPod Nano
. None of those units shipped with built-in Bluetooth chips, and it was a novel expertise to hook them as much as the AirFly and output audio onto my

Sony WH-1000XM4
headphones and my

JBL Flip 5
transportable speaker.

It was fairly surreal utilizing the Professional 2 to take heed to Michael Bolton’s 1991 Time, Love & Tenderness album on Compact Cassette, whereas having the audio route by means of my fashionable waterproof party speaker. As a gadgety tech nerd, there was additionally one thing enjoyable and quirky about utilizing the AirFly Professional 2 to interface with

my 1990s-era Sony Walkman
and my 2010s-era Sony headphones.

And, so, whereas I may not know when my subsequent air journey may come up, I have been capable of eek tons of worth out of the AirFly Professional 2 whereas sitting at residence at my work desk. Utilizing my Walkman’s built-in

FM radio tuner
, I have been listening to native radio for the primary time in ages utilizing my JBL speaker, opting to depart the tunes on as ambient background noise whereas I work. Up to now, I have never needed to recharge the machine even as soon as, which is an efficient signal. If there’s one factor that is for sure, it is this: every time I do find yourself reserving my subsequent flight, the one issues I will be grabbing earlier than the AirFly Professional 2 are my passport, my pockets, and my telephone.

This machine was supplied to Pocket-lint by Twelve South.

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