Samsung's first portable Bluetooth speaker pairs with NFC, can be wireless sound bar

Samsung announced its first-ever portable Bluetooth speaker at CES 2013, featuring the apt-X codec and NFC pairing.

Matthew Moskovciak Senior Associate Editor / Reviews - Home theater

Covering home audio and video, Matthew Moskovciak helps CNET readers find the best sights and sounds for their home theaters. E-mail Matthew or follow him on Twitter @cnetmoskovciak.

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Matthew Moskovciak

Jan. 5, 2013 6:00 p.m. PT

Samsung embraced Bluetooth and AirPlay speakers in a big way last year with the gorgeous DA-E750 and its sister products, but surprisingly the company hasn't rolled out a portable Bluetooth speaker -- until today.

The Samsung DA-F60 is the company's first entrant to the booming portable Bluetooth speaker market. It features the apt-X codec, which offers better sound quality if your tablet or smartphone supports it. It also supports NFC (near-field communication), which makes it slightly easier to pair with compatible phones.

The DA-F60 is compatible with Samsung's SoundShare platform, which means it can be used as a TV speaker with certain Samsung TVs by wirelessly connecting over Bluetooth. (Although judging from the size of the speaker, I can't imagine it would sound great.) The DA-F60 does have a built-in battery, but Samsung hasn't provided an estimate of battery life.

The DA-F60 is scheduled to come out in the first half of 2013. Pricing has not been announced.