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SoundLink Flex – Bose’s new speaker has a rugged design

Bose introduces SoundLink Flex, its first new portable Bluetooth speaker in quite a while. A nice product that follows the Bose Sleepbuds.

The $149 SoundLink Flex features a rugged design and IP67-rated dust and water resistance. It boasts 12-hour battery life and “amazing” audio performance for its size; according to Bose.

The SoundLink Flex speaker is nicely compact and has an integrated loop for attaching it to a carabiner. It will be sold in three colors: black, smoke white and blue.

Inside the SoundLink Flex is a custom transducer. According to Bose, it’s “as big as it gets” and capable of producing “bass you can feel in your chest”. Using a feature Bose calls “PositionIQ,” the speaker can sense the orientation it’s in; standing, hanging or flat on your back) and adjust the audio output accordingly.

Next, the speaker has a silicone back and a powder-coated steel grille. Bose says it’s designed to resist corrosion and prevent discoloration from UV rays. Thanks to its IP67 certification, this speaker can be used in swimming pools. Bose claims it floats on the surface when it falls in water.

Bose SoundLink Flex

There’s nothing particularly ‘smart’ about the SoundLink Flex, but it can be linked to any Bose smart speakers or soundbars you have at health home. And you can pair it in stereo with another SoundLink Flex or another Bose portable speaker. There’s also a built-in microphone for taking calls and interacting with your phone’s voice assistant. (Bose still sells the much more expensive $400 portable Smart Speaker with built-in voice capabilities. But you can do better for less than that).

At $149, the SoundLink is cheaper than products like the Sonos Roam; although it does not match the wide range of features of this speaker. Bose also faces stiff competition from Bluetooth speakers from JBL, UE and others. Still, the company’s portable speakers have a way of sounding much better than you’d expect given their size, so I’m looking forward to hearing what the SoundLink Flex is capable of.