Xiaomi Bluetooth Speaker Essential: New Bluetooth 6.0 speaker to receive global release

It seems that Xiaomi is on the verge of offering a tweaked Redmi Bluetooth Speaker 2 globally. To recap, the company introduced the Redmi Bluetooth Speaker 2 last September in China. While not released yet, the addition of the Bluetooth Speaker Essential to Xiaomi's global website indicates that the speaker should be available worldwide within the next few months.
The Bluetooth Speaker Essential is not merely a re-branded Redmi Bluetooth Speaker 2, though. On the one hand, the former supports Bluetooth 6.0 connectivity rather than the Bluetooth 5.3 standard that the latter masters. On the other hand, Xiaomi has certified the Bluetooth Speaker Essential to IP66, a lower level of water resistance than the IP67 level that the Redmi Bluetooth Speaker 2 offers.

Practically speaking, this means that the Bluetooth Speaker Essential cannot be immersed in up to one metre of water like the Redmi Bluetooth Speaker 2 can. Setting IP certification aside, the Bluetooth Speaker Essential delivers 5 W of rated power just like the Sound Pocket before it (curr. $24.49 on Amazon). Additionally, Xiaomi's new speaker utilises a 1.5-inch driver and a passive radiator with a 1,000 mAh battery rated for up to 10 hours of usage at 40% volume. Please note that official battery estimates drop to 2.5 hours if the speaker is running at 100% volume.
Alternatively, the Bluetooth Speaker Essential can be used as a wired speaker via its USB Type-C port. Xiaomi mentions synchronised playback among 10 speakers too or TWS stereo pairing between two units. Pricing and availability remain unknown for now, though. Please see Xiaomi's website for more details.













