Xiaomi launches a $30 magnetic speaker that doubles as a phone stand

Xiaomi has launched a compact Bluetooth speaker that magnetically attaches to the back of a phone and holds it upright as a stand. The Bluetooth Speaker Magnetic Version is running as a crowdfunding project on Xiaomi Youpin and has already passed its funding target.

It costs ¥199, which is about $30. Early backers pay ¥132, or about $20. The magnetic base attaches to any phone that supports wireless charging, including iPhones. Once it snaps on, the speaker acts as a prop for the handset, tilting it up for video or music while it sits on a desk.

Xiaomi has fitted a Hall effect sensor that detects the attachment and powers the speaker on by itself, so there is no button press between picking it up and playing audio. The unit weighs around 95 grams, light enough that it does not turn a phone into a brick when clipped on.

The speaker takes a dome shape wrapped in finely woven fabric mesh, finished with a metal ring detail. Xiaomi is selling it in black and in a wider tan shade. Both versions carry a glowing ring around the base that shifts through blue, purple, and pink and reacts to whatever is playing.

Inside is a single 1.5-inch full-range driver rated at 3W. That is not a replacement for a proper desktop speaker, but it clears the bar for video playback and background music at close range. Two units can be paired for stereo, and Xiaomi says up to 10 speakers can be linked at once for a larger setup. Connection runs over Bluetooth 6.0.

There is no charging cable or power adapter in the box, so buyers supply their own USB-C cable.

The speaker also drops Hyper AI, Xiaomi's voice assistant, which appears on some of the company's other smart speakers. Voice commands are not supported on this model. The Bluetooth Speaker Magnetic Version is currently a Youpin crowdfunding product, which essentially means a China first release. Xiaomi has not announced international availability.