Ever since mp3 capabilities became commonplace among mobile phones several years ago, developers have continually sought to enhance the quality and convenience of the cell phone user's listening experience. These days, smartphone owners have a wide variety of options when considering how, ideally, to amplify their audio.

Wired Speaker Docks are convenient and compact, and provide an easy way to charge (and sometimes sync) your smartphone while listening to music. Offerings range from small, stylish, and highly portable, to more substantial, high-fidelity units from audiophile-centric brands like JBL. Bluetooth Speaker Systems take convenience one step further by eliminating the need for wires, allowing you to carry your phone around normally while amplifying its contents. Portable Wired Speakers provide an affordable, light-weight means of listening to music outdoors or anywhere plugging in isn't convenient. Most are rechargeable, while others function essentially as large, open-shaped headphones, and thus require no power at all.

Ever since mp3 capabilities became commonplace among mobile phones several years ago, developers have continually sought to enhance the quality and convenience of the cell phone user's listening experience. These days, smartphone owners have a wide variety of options when considering how, ideally, to amplify their audio. Below, we'll cover the main varieties of mobile phone speaker systems available, and their respective advantages:

Wired Speaker Docks:

Speaker docks are convenient and compact, and provide an easy way to charge (and sometimes sync) your smartphone while listening to music. Offerings range from small, stylish, and highly portable, to more substantial, high-fidelity units from audiophile-centric brands like JBL and Bose. Nearly all include additional 3.5 mm audio inputs and outputs, allowing for general use with other audio devices. Many speaker docks are also designed to incorporate all of the features of an alarm clock, allowing easy amplification of reminders and notifications.

Bluetooth Speaker Systems:

Bluetooth has made a host of tasks associated with mobile phone use a great deal easier. Listening to music is no exception. The same technology operating in those ubiquitous wireless headsets has now been refined and enhanced to transmit high quality audio. Bluetooth speakers are, in many respects, the perfect portable speakers; they require no wires, are highly compact, and tend to feature long-lasting battery life. Though they still can't quite match the fidelity of their wired counterparts, only the most discerning of audiophiles are likely to perceive the difference.

Portable Wired Speakers:

Portable wired speakers are an affordable, light-weight solution to amplifying music outdoors or anywhere plugging isn't convenient. Most are rechargeable, while others function essentially as large, open-shaped headphones, and thus require no power at all. Perhaps the most convenient means of amplifying music on the go, however, is the speaker case--a protective carrier for your phone that doubles as a small speaker. Though obviously speaker cases aren't going to produce earth-shaking volumes, they nonetheless provide a uniquely compact and stylish solution to amplification, and one that will require little to no power.