The SofaBaton U2, an update to the U1 universal remote, has gone on sale on Amazon. The regular price is $60 but it currently includes a 15% off coupon.
The U2 remote is so new that the model isn’t on the official SofaBaton website yet, though it does appear in the latest update of the app. Cosmetically the remote appears the same, and the U2 also uses a Bluetooth connection to your phone for the app to load in your remotes. It has macro functionality — one press performs multiple commands — but it’s limited.
According to the Amazon description of the U2, the main differences are greater infrared range, a redesigned battery compartment and a $10 price bump. The site lists the current delivery time as April 16. Representatives for SofaBaton did not immediately respond to my requests for more information.
If you say the word “U2” around the halls of CNET, and for the sake of this story I did, the infamous “enforced iPod album download” incident is one of the first things that comes to mind. Lead singer Bono is still apologizing for it to this day. Point is, U2 messes everything up — including my own review for the U1, which I was writing until I discovered it had been replaced. Based on my experience with the U1, though, I found it to be easy to program and fun to use.
Look out for a full review of the SofaBaton U2 in the very near future.
