Belkin Thunderstorm iPad Speaker-Cover Hands-on: Boomin' But Bulky

The best thing about the Belkin Thunderstorm Handheld Theater is the sound. Even in a very noisy room at CES 2013, we could hear the roars of an engine in an iPad racing game over the din. This newfangled iPad case packs two speakers, allowing you to better enjoy everything from apps and music to movies. 

The multi-fold case lets you prop up your iPad in a couple of different positions, great for listening at your desk or in the kitchen. Another plus is the up to 10 hours of battery life.

Our main issue with the Thunderstorm is that it's fairly thick and bulky. Yes, the back of the device is protected--and you can still access all the ports and camera--but we're not sure having this kind of audio boost is worth the trade-off. Check out the video and let us know what you think.

Mark Spoonauer
Editor-in-Chief
Responsible for the editorial vision for Laptopmag.com, Mark Spoonauer has been Editor in Chief of LAPTOP since 2003 and has covered technology for nearly 15 years. Mark speaks at key tech industry events and makes regular media appearances on CNBC, Fox and CNN. Mark was previously reviews editor at Mobile Computing, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc.