We know what you’re thinking – “Marshall? You mean the guitar amp company?” That’s right, it’s launched an actual smartphone, and it’s called the ‘London’.
Unsurprisingly, the modus operandi of this new Android-powered handset is designed from the ground up with audio in mind.
For a start, it’s built to look a bit like a Marshall amp – matte black with gold trimmings – although it’s actually built by Marshall’s headphone division.
According to Marshall,
Also vying for the attention of audiophiles are the two 3.5mm headphone jacks featuring. That’s so you and a pal can listen to music together without the need for a cable splitter.
When it comes to software, you’ll be getting a special Wolfson WM8281 Audio Hub bundled onto the Android OS. The app is activated by pressing the physical ‘M’ button on top of the device.
The Wolfson software lets you play audio back at “higher resolution”. We’re not exactly clear what that means just yet – upscaling, perhaps?
The handset runs on Android 5.0.2, but it’s got a few extra apps pre-installed, namely a global audio equaliser and a DJ app.
Related: Best Android Smartphones 2015
Right, onto the specs. Unfortunately while the Marshall looks great, its hardware line-up is fairly prosaic.
You’re looking at a 4.7-inch 720p display, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage (plus a microSD slot), a 2,500mAh battery, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 2-megapixel selfie shooter, and a 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 chip to boot.
There’s no UK pricing available right now, but pre-orders are on offer for 4,995 Swedish Krona, which is about £375. Shipping begins August 17.
If you want a more conventional handset, check out or smartphone group test video below:
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.