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JBL Charge 6 Bluetooth speaker promises better durability, audio quality and all-day battery life

With the strap attached, the JBL Charge 6 cosplays as a fashionable purse. (Image source: JBL)
With the strap attached, the JBL Charge 6 cosplays as a fashionable purse. (Image source: JBL)
Alongside the Flip 7, JBL has announced a new Charge 6 portable Bluetooth speaker, now available for pre-order at an MSRP of $199. With more customisation options, Auracast technology and up to 28 hours of battery life with Playtime Boost, the Charge 6 appears to be an upgrade that more than justifies the upcharge.

JBL has officially launched what it claims are two of the most durable portable Bluetooth speakers on the market: the Flip 7 and its bigger, higher-end sibling, the Charge 6. Both sport the AI Sound boost and Auracast features that were lacking in the predecessor models, supposedly delivering a superior audio performance. The speakers support Bluetooth 5.4, have an IP68 waterproof and dustproof rating, and are drop-resistant.

JBL claims the Charge 6 delivers powerful bass sounds with its 93mm oval woofer and RMS of 30W. At 960 g (2.1 lbs), the speaker is rather chunky but can be easily carried thanks to a detachable strap. The body of the Charge 6 carries the same prominent branding of previous versions with a new Auracast button on the console for sharing audio via Bluetooth with as many devices as the user has available. This comes with a caveat: JBL Charge 6 is not backwards compatible with the Charge 5 because the latter does not use Auracast technology. 

The JBL Charge 6 sports a stable base and conspicuous branding on the front. (Image source: JBL)
The JBL Charge 6 sports a stable base and conspicuous branding on the front. (Image source: JBL)
On the back, the JBL Charge 6 has a single USB-C port that supports mobile device charging and lossless audio. (Image source: JBL)
On the back, the JBL Charge 6 has a single USB-C port that supports mobile device charging and lossless audio. (Image source: JBL)

The Charge 6 comes with a customizable 7-band equaliser with four presets in the JBL Portable app. And when plugged in via USB-C, the speaker supports lossless audio transmission.

The Charge 6 packs the biggest battery ever seen in the series with up to a full 24 hours of use. Enabling the new Playtime Boost feature gives the user an additional four hours although this renewed vigour comes at a cost of disabling EQ settings. True to its name, the JBL Charge 6 can serve as a convenient power bank for mobile devices although its capacity is only 4722 mAh. Perhaps for this reason, laptop charging is not supported. 

Like the Flip 7, JBL Charge 6 is available for preorder on the website and set to start shipping by April 6th.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2025 03 > JBL Charge 6 Bluetooth speaker promises better durability, audio quality and all-day battery life
Sarfo Ashong-Listowell, 2025-03-12 (Update: 2025-03-13)