There’s a new Flip in town, and a surefire contender for our list of the best Bluetooth speakers. The JBL Flip 7 adds a bigger sound, AI smarts, a more robust design and a longer battery life.
So why would you consider its predecessor, the Flip 6? Because it’s still a five-star speaker, and with a new model arriving, its price could drop to tempting new lows.
Wondering which Flip would be right for you? Let’s find out.
JBL Flip 7 vs Flip 6: price
The recently-announced JBL Charge 6 had a price rise over its predecessor, so we feared the Flip 7 would do the same. Thankfully, that didn't happen, in the UK at least.
The Flip 7 has the same £130 launch price as the Flip 6, but in the US the price has risen from $130 to $149.95 (we're still awaiting Australian pricing).
But of course the Flip 6 hasn't stuck at the same price since it launched in 2022. It recently fell to a new low price of £88 / $80 / AU$113. That’s significantly down on its £130 / $130 / AU$200 launch price.
End of life products tend to get big discounts to make way for their replacements, so it could drop even further.
JBL Flip 7 vs Flip 6: design
The two Flips do look very similar, but the Flip 7 does have some design tweaks.
The most obvious one is the new interchangeable finger loop and carabiner hook for clipping the speaker onto your bag, a tree branch or anything else that takes your fancy.
It’s also more resistant to the great outdoors. Its IP rating is IP68, up from the Flip 6’s IP67. That means that while it has the same dust-tight rating as its predecessor, it’s now more waterproof, able to survive a dip in up to 1m of water for up to 30 minutes.
Other than that, it’s the same Flip speaker we know and love, with rubberised ends protecting it in case of a drop, plus big, brash branding and a USB-C port around the back for charging it.
JBL Flip 7 vs Flip 6: features
The Flip 7 has some new features too.
You can now play high-resolution lossless audio via its USB-C port, though JBL hasn't confirmed which resolutions will be supported.
We're promised an upgraded sound courtesy of JBL's 'AI Sound Boost', which analyses sound waves to optimise the speaker's output without distorting the audio. Of course, the improved tweeter won't hurt, supposedly producing a crisper, clearer sound even at high volumes.
Auracast is also onboard. Just like on JBL's Xtreme 4 and Go 4 speakers, this lets you wirelessly link the Flip 7 to other speakers for audio sharing. It does much the same thing as JBL's PartyBoost feature found on the Flip 6, but more efficiently.
This also allows for the Flip 7 to have a longer battery life. It runs for 16 hours on a single charge – four more hours than the Flip 6.
Other than that, it has the same feature spec as the Flip 6, including the JBL Portable app for tweaking the sound. And it has Bluetooth 5.4 over the Flip 6's 5.1
JBL Flip 7 vs Flip 6: sound
Without testing the Flip 7, we can't comment on its sound quality. Suffice to say that each generation of Flip does improve the sound, so this iteration should be no different, especially given the improvements JBL has made.
Give the quality of its predecessor, we're looking forward to experiencing the Flip 7 for ourselves.
Sonically, the Flip 6 far outdoes its pint-sized proportions. "There’s plenty of oomph and energy across the frequencies, with any perceived bloatedness melting away once the speaker has been properly run in overnight to reveal a surprisingly snappy and more full-bodied low end than [the Flip 5]," we wrote in our review.
It has good three-dimensionality too, although the top-end can be a touch unforgiving.
It will be fascinating to see if JBL can deliver the Flip 7's bigger, bassier sound as promised without upsetting the delicate balance of which we are such fans.
JBL Flip 7 vs Flip 6: early verdict
With a bigger sound, more advanced features, hi-res playback and a longer battery life, the Flip 7 looks like an all-round improvement on its predecessor.
Of course we can't say for definite until we've tested it. You might want to keep an eye on the Flip 6 price as well – and on What Hi-Fi?, as we'll flag any significant price drops.
We'll update this article once we've put the Flip 7 through its paces.
MORE:
Read our JBL Flip 6 review
JBL Charge 6 vs Charge 5: what's new?
JBL Flip 6 vs Charge 5: which is right for you?
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