Back in August 2018, JBL started accepting pre-orders for its Link Bar, a hybrid soundbar device that includes Android TV and Google Assistant built-in. The device was positioned as a sort of all-in-one home entertainment experience that brought both Android TV and Google Assistant to one's entertainment setup, but a huge delay prevented consumers from getting the soundbar.
Neither Google Assistant nor Android TV is exactly new. You’d see one or the other in this or that new smart product. In fact, Google Assistant is pretty much part and parcel of the Android TV experience. But what about a non-TV Android TV with Google Assistant device? Well, that’s the rather unconventional proposition that the JBL Link Bar made with the first ever Google Assistant-enabled Android TV soundbar. With pre-orders now starting, it’s finally time to see whether people will actually buy that idea.
JBL Link View, a smart speaker with an 8-inch display and Google Assistant, is now available for preorder. The oval-shaped device is an alternative to Amazon's Echo Show, offering voice control coupled with a display and camera for video chats, among other things. JBL is accepting orders now with plans to start shipping the device in early September.
Google has teamed up with JBL for the first Google Assistant powered soundbar, with the JBL Link Bar effectively baking together its voice AI and an Android TV box. Launched ahead of Google I/O 2018, the new gadget is designed to plug into a TV and bring all of Google's media streaming and voice control technologies in one fell swoop.
Audio company JBL has announced headphones featuring Google Assistant built-in. Called Everest, these wireless headphones tap Google's voice assistant for audible notifications and the ability to control music using voice instead of touch (though a bit of touch is still necessary). Google Assistant has been integrated into the Everest 710GA and 110GA around-ear headphones and earbuds.
Under Armour has teamed up with JBL to launch the UA Sport Wireless Flex, a pair of Bluetooth earbuds designed specifically for athletes and fitness enthusiasts. The UA Sport Wireless Flex feature a Flex Zone neckband, enabling the user to adjust the fit so that it best meets their needs. In addition to the adjustable neckband, the UA Sport Wireless Flex has fast charging that enables users to get a full hour of playback after only five minutes on the charger.
While some Bluetooth speakers try to pack the best sound quality into as small a package as possible, the new JBL Boombox is taking the opposite approach. Definitely a boombox for the current decade (and century), the Boombox is one of the largest Bluetooth speakers we've ever seen. That increased size comes with some attractive benefits, though, such as a long-lasting battery and the promise of "exceptional sound and hard hitting bass."
For many years, your options for connecting headphones to your mobile phone were either a headphone port or Bluetooth. Things are changing today with consistent rumors that Apple will ditch the 3.5mm headphone port and use its lightning port for headphones. Android users will get a similar capability via headphones that connect to the USB-C port like these JBL Reflect Aware C Earphones.
The new HTC 10 smartphone has a USB-C port, and just in time for it is the new JBL Reflect Aware C earbuds with a USB Type-C cable. These are the first sport earbuds for USB-C phones, according to JBL, that feature adaptive noise control and noise cancellation. In addition to blocking out unwanted ambient noises, the earbuds feature an in-line control and microphone, two color options, and more.
Before the beards can nod to the Alabama Shakes, or bikini-clad girls can do snow angels in triple-digit heat - on thick green grass in the middle of a barren desert at Coachella - there’s a lot that has to happen. The euphoric resonance of a festival like Glastonbury, Coachella, or Bonnaroo doesn’t occur without the music, and the music doesn’t translate with crappy sound.
JBL has unveiled the new Pulse 2 portable Bluetooth speaker. The device is more than just a wireless speaker making it easy for you to enjoy your tunes on the go, it’s also a lightshow. Pulse 2 delivers synchronized flashes of full-color light to go with the beat of your favorite tracks.
A slew of new JBL and Harman Kardon speakers and headphones were unveiled at IFA 2015 today, including portable speakers, loudspeakers for televisions, earbuds, noise canceling headphones, and more. The headphones will be released at different points over the coming weeks, and obviously will sit at different price points. Chief among them all, though, is the new JBL Everest series, including its flagship model, the JBL Everest ELITE 700.