JBL Charge 6: Release date, price, rumors, features, and more

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The JBL Charge 5 is one of JBL’s most popular speakers to date. Whether you’re a backyard BBQ host or confined to a small dorm room, the Charge series will serve you well. Given JBL’s track record for releases, followers are expecting the JBL Charge 6 to arrive soon. Here’s everything we know about the pending Bluetooth speaker.

The Charge series is one of JBL’s most popular product lines, so the JBL Charge 6 is bound to make it to market. It’s just a matter of when not if!

JBL hasn’t officially announced or even hinted at the Charge 6 yet. However, the release window has grown longer between each generation. Based on previous Charge series release dates, we anticipate JBL will announce the Charge 6 release date this September at IFA 2023.

JBL isn’t new to announcing products at IFA. Last year, it announced the Tour Pro 2 and JBL Bar 1000 ($1199.95 at Amazon), and in 2018, it announced the Charge 4 ($179 at Amazon) at IFA. If we don’t see the Charge 6 at IFA 2023, we may wait until 2024.

Based on previous JBL Charge generations, here’s what we’ve deduced about the JBL Charge 6.

The JBL Charge 6 will have a cylindrical shape with passive radiators mounted at each end cap. The next-gen speaker is expected to have the same woven fabric wrap as Charge speakers before it and come in various color options. For reference, the JBL Charge 5 is available in White, Pink, Teal, Red, Gray, Blue, Black, and Camouflage.

We expect a similar control layout on the Charge 6 as the previous Charge speakers. This means you’ll be able to adjust the volume, skip tracks, and enter Bluetooth pairing mode. The Charge 6 should have an IP67 rating, making it equally as dust- and water-resistant as the Charge 5. Likewise, the Charge 6 should float in water like the Charge 5, making it easy to retrieve the Charge 6 if it slips into the pool.

The JBL Charge 6 likely won’t have an aux input, as JBL removed that feature with the Charge 5. We expect a return of the USB-C charging port and a USB-A (or USB-C) output for charging other devices. If the Charge 5 and 4 are any indication, the Charge 6’s battery life will be at least 20 hours and will take about four hours to charge fully.

Listeners will be able to create a custom equalizer through the JBL Portable app (Android/iOS) and receive firmware updates. You’ll need the app to manage PartyBoost to connect up to 100 compatible speakers. The app also lets you toggle Stereo Mode on when two speakers are connected. The following JBL speakers are compatible with PartyBoost: Boombox 3, Charge 5, Flip 5, Pulse 4, and Xtreme 3.

The JBL Charge 6 will undoubtedly have a loud audio output for a standalone portable speaker, just like its predecessors. We expect to see the same driver layout comprised of dynamic drivers and a tweeters. JBL’s Charge and Flip series extend the bass response using passive bass radiators.

The JBL Charge 6 will likely cost $179.95, like its predecessor. If JBL raises the price, it will be around $199.95. Historically, JBL has been consistent with its pricing, only increasing it with notable changes to the series. For instance, upgrading from the Charge 3 to the Charge 4 gave listeners a USB-C charging port rather than micro-USB.

Since there’s a good chance the JBL Charge 6 will debut at IFA 2023, so we recommend waiting until IFA begins on September 1, 2023. If JBL hasn’t announced the Charge 6 by the end of the event, you may want to spring for the Charge 5 then. The Charge 5 is an excellent Bluetooth speaker for under $200. It’s unlikely that the Charge 6 will reinvent the wheel or render the Charge 5 irrelevant when it does come to market. Before making any purchasing decisions, consider a few alternatives before investing in a JBL Charge.

The JBL Flip 6 ($99 at Amazon) offers many of the same features as the Charge 5 but in a smaller package. The Flip series is more affordable and can fit into a backpack’s water bottle pocket. Of course, JBL isn’t the only player in the Bluetooth speaker market. We also recommend the UE Megaboom 3 ($157 at Amazon), which directly competes with the Charge 5. If you want a more budget-friendly option, look at the Anker Soundcore Motion Plus ($99.99 at Amazon). Anker is famous for its high-value products. The Motion Plus stands out for its aptX support integrated microphone.

The Charge 5 is one of the best and most popular Bluetooth speakers, but there’s room for improvement in the Charge 6.

We’d like to see a return of built-in microphones on the JBL Charge 6. Unfortunately, JBL ditched the microphones on the Charge 4, but adding them back in would make the Charge 6 a much more versatile speaker. With mics, you can use the Charge 6 as a speakerphone and access your phone’s smart assistant right from the speaker. It could also allow the speaker to self-calibrate its audio output based on the environment.

This is another feature JBL ditched, and the Charge 5 was the first of the series to debut without an aux input. While it’s unlikely we’ll see a 3.5mm input return on the Charge 6, it would make the speaker stand out from the likes of UE and Bose.

Although the Charge 6 is bound to have a 20-hour battery life or longer, it would be helpful to have fast charging too. As it stands, you need to set aside four hours to charge the Charge 5 fully. It’s easy to recharge the speaker overnight, but we’d appreciate some quick-charge option when we’re in a bind.

Updated hardware will mean the latest Bluetooth 5.3 features. This means that the new speaker could incorporate Bluetooth Auracast functionality, allowing it to receive transmission from an Auracast-enabled Bluetooth playback device. This would bring similar functionality to JBL’s PartyBoost feature to the speaker and allow speakers from other brands to join the party.