Review on Ematic RuggedLife Water Resistant Portable Bluetooth Speaker And Charger With Hands-Free Calling - Silver, Blue (Model: ESR102) by Brian Samaiyar

I thought I could get over the hilariously loud announcements this speaker screams at you. It's not loud, it screams. "BLUETOOTH!" When you turn it on. Then "CONNECTED!" when your phone pairs.Then I tried using the speaker. Reception is abysmal. If I put my phone in my pocket I start getting interference. Same phone paired to a different speaker and I can leave the room before audio quality begins to drop.Recently it begins restarting itself. Music will be playing no problem then suddenly is screeches "BLUETOOTH!" at me followed by a quiet pause then another shriek of "CONNECTED!" To compound this issue, after seeing the connection drop, my phone stops playing music and I need to interact with my phone again. Which isn't ideal in situations where a "water resistant" speaker are being used, such as a bathroom or pool area.The power button is a physical switch located behind a rubberized flap making turning the speaker on an off a pain, and also raising the question about why it needs to loudly announce it's power state like a "BLUETOOTH!" banshee cry.I tested the charging function on this speaker and my phone claims to be charging, but I've never used it in an actual low battery situation (because I've never had it play music long enough to drain my phone battery).I'm much happier with Pyle PWPBT60OR Sound Box Splash Bluetooth Rugged and Splash-Proof Marine Grade Portable Wireless Speaker (Orange) for a bluetooth speaker, but which does not offer device charging.