Bose announces a Jambox competitor, the SoundLink Mini

By Mike Flacy June 5, 2013

Check out our review of the Bose SoundLink Mini bluetooth speaker.

Unveiled at an event in New York City yesterday, speaker manufacturer Bose announced a new mobile speaker product that provides the same functionality as the Jawbone JAMBOX or the Ultimate Ears BOOM. Retailing at a $200 price point, the Bose SoundLink Mini is seven inches wide, two inches high and a bit over two inches deep. Covered with a metal housing which brings the total weight to 1.5 pounds, the SoundLink Mini can stream audio from a Bluetooth-enabled laptop, smartphone, tablet or standard audio device like an iPod Touch. If you live in a home with multiple devices or family members, the SoundLink Mini will remember up to six devices without having to re-sync over Bluetooth.

Rather than plugging the speaker into a computer or electrical adapter with a mini-USB cable, the SoundLink Mini comes with a charging cradle and proprietary AC adapter. After charging completely, the speaker has a battery life of approximately seven hours before requiring a recharge that takes a full three hours.

It’s important to note that competitors advertise significantly longer battery life. For instance, the Jawbone JAMBOX lasts up to ten hours on a single charge and the Ultimate Ears BOOM lasts up to 15 hours before recharging. In addition, the user is forced to travel with the SoundLink Mini AC adapter if they want to take the speaker with them on vacation.

If a Bose customer doesn’t like the classic silver look to the housing, the company will be selling soft covers in blue, green and orange to protect the SoundLink Mini. The device is currently available for preorder on the Bose site and the company is expected to start shipping the speaker at the start of July 2013. Besides the Jawbone JAMBOX and Ultimate Ears BOOM, other competing products to consider in the mobile speaker space include the Logitech UE Boombox, Beats by Dr. Dre Pill and the JBL Charge.

Editors' Recommendations

This Bose Bluetooth speaker is just $79 for Prime Day — save $50

Topics

Contributing Editor

By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…

Mobile

Is the Oura Ring waterproof?

The Oura Ring Horizon resting on a green succulent plant.

The Oura Ring is a highly sought-after wearable device available in different styles and price ranges. It allows users to track their sleep and recovery, stress levels, illnesses, and fitness routines -- and it even provides features specific to women's health. With so many features, you might wonder whether the watch is waterproof. Let's find out.
Is the Oura Ring waterproof?
Technically, the Oura Ring is not waterproof. Instead, it's water-resistant up to 330 feet (100 meters). This is the case for most modern gadgets. You'll often find water resistance protection on products, which is good, but it's not exactly the same as being waterproof. But what does that really mean? We explain below.
Can you go swimming with the Oura Ring?
The Oura Ring has a certain level of protection that allows you to wear it while swimming, showering, and snorkeling. However, wearing the Oura Ring during scuba diving or when there is a risk of extended water submersion or extreme pressure is not advisable. Oura recommends avoiding wearing the ring in such scenarios to ensure its longevity and proper functioning.

Oura further explains: "The Oura Ring operating temperature ranges from [-10 to 52 degrees Celsius and 14 to 125 degrees Fahrenheit]. You can safely wear your ring in the shower, hot tubs, saunas, ice baths, and cryotherapy tanks. However, extended exposure to extreme temperatures (below 0°C/32°F or above 35°C/95°F) may lead to battery damage."
How does this compare to other smart rings?
Of Oura's chief competitors, only the Ultrahuman Ring Air provides similar water resistance. By contrast, the Amovan Smart Ring only provides water resistance up to 50 meters. The Oura Ring offers the same level of protection as the Apple Watch Ultra, making it an excellent alternative to smartwatches. However, it surpasses the Apple Watch Series 2 or later and the Google Pixel Watch 2, which can only resist water up to 50 meters.

Mobile

Every Android tablet we’re expecting in 2024

The home screen on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra.

It’s an exciting time for Android tablets. Into the vacuum left in 2023 by Apple’s first-ever dearth of new iPads stepped two new contenders offering distinct takes on what a tablet should be, while Samsung’s venerable Tab S9 lineup raised the bar by cementing the position of its largest tablet and bringing AMOLED screens to the entire family.

There’s no reason to believe that this year will be any less interesting as Samsung continues to up its game while Google and OnePlus try to refine their initial first-generation efforts into more mature products.

Mobile

OnePlus surprises us with dazzling Android tablet and smartwatch

A press image of the OnePlus Watch 2 Nordic Blue edition.

OnePlus has launched a new Android tablet and a desirable special edition of the OnePlus Watch 2, both in beautiful color schemes that make us want them both right now. Unfortunately, that won't be easy if you live in the U.S.. The company has announced the OnePlus Pad Go tablet and OnePlus Watch 2 Nordic Blue edition smartwatch at an event in Helsinki, Finland, and both are currently only destined for a European release.

If you recognize the OnePlus Pad Go's name , it’s because the tablet was released in India last year, and it comes in the same stunning Twin Mint color scheme, which is as trendy as it gets. Although the company hasn't been forthcoming with all the details about the tablet, the specifications are unlikely to have changed from the model released in India. It has an 11.3-inch screen with a 2.4K (that’s 2408 x 1720 pixels) resolution, which it claims is currently the highest available on an Android tablet, and a 90Hz refresh rate.