Amplify

Last crawled date: 1 year, 11 months ago

Portable passive phone amplifier for the Samsung Galaxy S3.

Amplify is an audio amplifier which is designed around the Samsung Galaxy S3. The shortcoming of the phone is due to the fact that the speaker faces in the opposite direction of the screen. This shortcoming is immediately recognized when one is watching a video in a crowded place: the sound is projected away from the user, not towards it, thus even at max volume the user experience is poor.

Amplify seeks to solve this problem by redirecting the sound towards the user is a non-intrusive, passive way. The gadget attaches securely to the phone by means of the audio jack, which assures that the gadget can be used in any situation needed (contrary to designs which attach to the charging port of the phone). Amplify doesn’t draw any current, it merely uses the audio jack to mate with the phone. When not in use, amplify can be hooked onto a keychain by means of a loop protruding from the side.

Current prototypes have shown that indeed this concept does work; both sound quality and intensity are improved when using an Amplify that was 3D printed in ABS plastic.

Future design improvements will feature the use of better materials which will be more suitable for reflecting sound waves back towards the user. Also, Amplify could also be modified to serve the purpose of dock as well, such that the user could just plug Amplify into the phone and place it on a table, onto which it will lay at an angle for an optimal viewing experience. Amplify could also be designed to work with other phones, since so far only the Samsung Galaxy S3 has been used to prototype.