5 features I want to see in the new JBL Flip 7

Winter is finally coming to an end, and spring is fast approaching. So, in just a few short weeks, you’ll likely be trading in your parkas for park visits and porch get-togethers.

So, aside from getting your barbecue cleaned up and ready to go, one of the things you should probably consider getting before the season begins is one of the best Bluetooth speakers. These are ideal for setting the mood and getting a party started, and their portability means you can use them when hanging out in the yard, as well as in the summer when you’re off on holidays.

When choosing a Bluetooth speaker, one of the companies that will surely come up is JBL. From the ultraportable Clip to the chest-crushingly bassy Boombox, the company made its name with outstanding portable speakers for every occasion.

One of the most popular speakers in JBL’s portfolio is the JBL Flip 6. It’s a great middle-of-the-road choice that provides a good (and loud) enough sound to fill a big room or get some music going when hanging out by a campfire, but is still affordable and portable enough to take anywhere with you. There is always room for improvement, and competition such as the excellent Sonos Roam does not sleep.

In our review, we absolutely loved the current JBL Flip 6, and ever since, it securely sits at the top of our best Bluetooth speaker list. Moreover, it’s been more than two years now since the release of the JBL Flip 6, so the company is surely deep in work on the even-more-excellent successor. Here’s everything we want from the next generation of the best portable Bluetooth speaker.

1 Better, clearer trebles

Makes for a more lively outdoor experience

The whole JBL range is known for punching much above its weight when it comes to bass. Thanks to its two passive bass resonators, the Flip 6 is no different. However, because of that focus on low notes, what most of these speakers lack are detailed trebles.

The Flip 6 tried to combat that with its new tweeter (which produces high audio frequencies), and granted, it partially succeeded. However, especially at higher volumes, the high notes are still rather muddy and lack detail.

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Of course, part of it is the character of this speaker — when outdoors, bass and mids are much more important and just fun to hear than detailed trebles. That being said, focusing a bit more on delivering clearer trebles would not make the Flip 7 any worse, and it could make it a much more universal choice, and not just a party speaker.

2 Higher IP rating

IP68 would make it an even better portable option

JBL

The JBL Flip 6 features an IP67 water resistance rating, which is invaluable for an outdoor portable speaker. That means you can count on its dust resistance, and even if it lands in a pool or a puddle, it should be just fine.

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However, you can always do better, and getting the Flip 7 to IP68 rating would be a great decision on JBL’s part. That way, even higher pressures wouldn’t be a worry for the speaker, making it an ideal companion not only when chilling by a shallow pool. Besides, more protection is always appreciated, even if — ideally — you still wouldn’t want your shiny new JBL Flip 7 to land in the water.

3 Bigger battery and faster charging

Up to 2024 long-lasting standards

The current generation of Flip came out in 2021, and is still going strong today, but one thing that is much more advanced since 2021 is battery life and charging. While 12 hours on a single charge is fine, it’s no longer up to market-leading standards, especially with devices such as the Ultimate Ears Epicboom offering 17 hours or even 24 hours of the Tribit XSound Go.

What’s worse, the Flip 6 is also not that fast when it comes to charging, taking more than two hours to fill up its cell. Adding fast charging capabilities would be awesome, especially considering that it’s an outdoor portable speaker — a quick 10-minute charge getting you an additional two to three hours of playback would be ideal.

That’s not all. If JBL manages to equip its Flip 7 with a bigger battery and fast charging tech, maybe it could also make it possible for the speaker to act as a powerbank for your phone? It would be a great thing to have as a last-resort power source if your smartphone is running low in the wilderness.

4 Get a voice assistant on board

Moving towards smart speaker territory

JBL 

It’s 2024, and speakers with voice assistants on board are everywhere. From the smallest Echo Dot to the video-enabled Google Nest Hub Max, they are extremely useful and convenient, and do not compromise on sound quality.

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So, size-wise, making the next version of the JBL Flip would not be difficult. However, such a change does come with its own set of problems, such as the need to put in a microphone, and of course, support Wi-Fi to communicate with other devices. It would also increase the price of the speaker, but the convenience of such a design would be phenomenal, with the streaming prowess of a smart speaker and the bassy audio goodness the Flip series is known for.

5 Stereo compatibility with other JBL speakers

More music connection, bigger sound

With the Flip 6, JBL introduced a fun feature that enabled two Flip 6 speakers to be wirelessly connected to one another and form a stereo pair, essentially giving you spatial music everywhere you are.

Unfortunately, even though the feature is great, it only works with the exact same models. If you use different ones, you can only connect them as a mono pair. Of course, in theory, this makes sense: you want your stereo sound to be played by similar-sounding speakers. However, when out and about, this precision is not as important as the sheer fun of spatial sound.

If the JBL Flip 7 could overcome this limitation and let you connect to other JBL models as a stereo pair, it would be such a great addition to the already-awesome features.

FAQ

Q: When will JBL Flip 7 be released?

Since 2017, the Flip series has been on quite a steady 2.5-year release cycle, with the Flip 4 releasing in 2017, followed by the Flip 5 in 2019, and the Flip 6 in late 2021. With the latest Flip 6 rapidly approaching that same age, we’re quite sure that JBL is deep in the works for the next generation. There were even rumors that we could see the new speaker’s announcement during CES 2024, but that sadly didn’t pan out. Still, we’re pretty confident that the JBL Flip 7 should hit the shelves sometime in 2024. Stay tuned for our further coverage.

Q: How much will JBL Flip 7 cost?

Just as with the release date of the JBL Flip 7, we cannot yet judge the price of the upcoming device. However, with the last two generations starting at $129 at launch, we’re quite sure that the new version will cost at least that much, but we’re expecting the price to rise a little bit. Tech is generally getting more expensive, and if JBL decides to implement some of the bigger changes that we’re expecting, the price tag will probably have to be adjusted.

Q: Should you wait for the JBL Flip 7?

So, finally, we arrive at the big question — should you wait for the upcoming JBL Flip 7, or is the JBL Flip 6 still a great buy? Well, looking at our best Bluetooth speakers list, you should know that we still love the Flip 6, so there is no harm done in getting it even more than two years after its release.

The Flip 6 is loud, it’s bassy, and it’s really fun to listen to, and what more could you want from a great portable speaker? Additionally, it’s often discounted nowadays, regularly going for as cheap as $99, so you can get your music going for a great price.

If you’re not immediately in need of a Bluetooth speaker, waiting for a while and seeing what the next generation has to offer would be the best way to go. It might once again come on the market and absolutely crush the competition, so a bit of patience might buy you a terrific device — and maybe even one with all the improvements we’re asking for here.