JBL Flip 6 improves on the Award-winning Flip 5 both inside and out

JBL Flip 6 improves on the Award-winning Flip 5 both inside and out
(Image credit: JBL)

The JBL Flip 5 is our current pick of the best Bluetooth speakers, picking up a 2020 Award for its trouble. And now it has a successor – say hello to the JBL Flip 6.

On first glance it looks very familiar, with the same tubular design as its predecessor. But it's all change, with a new logo, new colourways, and – crucially –  a new audio configuration which should make it sound even better.

It retains the same racetrack-shaped subwoofer as the Flip 5, but now has a separate tweeter and dual passive radiators. These should give tunes added depth and more power.

It's had a minor upgrade in terms of durability, now being rated IP67 (the Flip 5 was IPX7). That means it has the same waterproof rating as the Flip 5 (surviving full submersion in up to a metre of water for 30 minutes), while also being completely dust-tight.

The Bluetooth has also been upgraded, from version 4.2 on the Flip 5 to 5.1. And it has the same PartyBoost feature (which lets you wirelessly pair it with other JBL speakers for a louder sound) and same 12-hour battery life.

Finally, the colourways are also new. The Flip 6 comes in Dusty Pink, Grey Stone, River Teal, Fiesta Red, Ocean Blue, Midnight Black, Steel White, Forest Green and Squad.

It goes on sale in November for £129.99 / $129.95 (about AU$200). We'll bring you a full review as soon as possible, but we expect this to be a strong contender for the Christmas wish list.

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Joe Svetlik

Joe has been writing about tech for 17 years, first on staff at T3 magazine, then in a freelance capacity for Stuff, The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, Men's Health, GQ, The Mirror, Trusted Reviews, TechRadar and many more (including What Hi-Fi?). His specialities include all things mobile, headphones and speakers that he can't justifying spending money on.