Everybody loves solar-powered stuff. I mean the concept in getting energy from the sunlight itself is already fantastic, who would be opposed to such a thing? That’s why Eton came out with the Soulra last year – an iPod/iPhone speaker dock that amplifies your tunes, while getting power from the sun. Now, Eton has announced that the Soulra’s elder brother, the Soulra XL will start shipping later this month.
The Soulra XL is pretty much a bigger and improved version of the Soulra. It packs a large, retractable 72 square-inch enhanced monocrystal solar panel that is used to juice up its 2,000mAh rechargeable lithium ion battery. It’ll last for about 5 hours of continuous play, which isn’t too bad – just make sure it stays in the sun. It has eight speaker drivers and 22W output, which should be enough to get the party started in a small room or at an outdoor picnic.
Now we don’t know how clever it is to leave your iOS device in the hot sun, but hey – free energy to keep those melodies flowing all day long right? The Soulra XL is up for pre-order now at Eton’s website, for $300 each. Expect the device to start shipping within the next 10 days.