Products
JBL Flip 5
Apple HomePod mini
Tested using Methodology v0.8
Updated Sep 09, 2024 05:25 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Tested using Methodology v0.8
Updated Apr 15, 2025 08:02 PM
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Bluetooth
Yes
Wi-Fi
No
Speakerphone
No
Voice Assistant
No
Battery Powered
Yes
Bluetooth
No
Wi-Fi
Yes
Speakerphone
Yes
Voice Assistant
Yes
Battery Powered
No
Our Verdict
JBL Flip 5
Apple HomePod mini
The JBL Flip 5 and the Apple HomePod mini are designed for different uses. The JBL is a portable, battery-powered Bluetooth speaker with an IPX7 rating for water resistance that certifies it to be immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. It's designed to be taken along with you on the go and can get a bit louder than the Apple. The Apple is a Wi-Fi speaker with Siri built-in and is designed for use at home. It needs to remain plugged into an outlet to work. It has less compression present at max volume and offers a wider-sounding soundstage. Its Apple Home companion app is also only available with iOS devices.
Variants
- Flip 5 (Black)
- Flip 5 (Black Camo)
- Flip 5 (Blue)
- Flip 5 (Camo)
- Flip 5 (Gray)
- Flip 5 (Green)
- Flip 5 (Pink)
- Flip 5 (Red)
- Flip 5 (Sand)
- Flip 5 (Teal)
- Flip 5 (White)
- Flip 5 (Yellow)
- HomePod mini (Blue)
- HomePod mini (Midnight)
- HomePod mini (Orange)
- HomePod mini (Space Gray)
- HomePod mini (White)
- HomePod mini (Yellow)
Check Price
Blue
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Blue
HomePod mini
SEARCH
Amazon.com
White
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
HomePod mini
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Yellow
Flip 5
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Yellow
HomePod mini
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Black
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Midnight
HomePod mini
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Black Camo
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Orange
HomePod mini
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Camo
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Space Gray
HomePod mini
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Gray
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Green
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Pink
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Red
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Sand
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Teal
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Main Differences for
Music
Music
Threshold
Music
6.0
6.4
Soundstage
6.3
7.3
Frequency Response Accuracy
6.3
6.5
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Style Photo
RGB Lights
No
No
Portability
9.3
5.8
Dimensions Photo
Volume
47 in³ (771 cm³)
48 in³ (790 cm³)
Weight
1.2 lbs (0.5 kg)
0.7 lbs (0.3 kg)
Power Source
Battery & USB
AC Only
One-Hand Carry
Yes
Yes
Build Quality
7.5
6.4
Build Quality Photo
Material Quality
Great
Good
Water Resistance
Submersible (IPx7)
No
Dust Resistance
Unspecified
Unspecified
Impact Resistance
No
Unspecified
Floats In Water
No
No
Controls
6.6
8.0
Controls Photo
Controls Photo 2
Ease Of Use
Great
Great
Feedback
Good
Great
Music Play/Pause
Yes (Physical)
Yes (Tactile)
Call Answer/End
No
Yes (Tactile)
Volume Up/Down
Yes (Physical)
Yes (Tactile)
Track Next/Previous
Forward Only (Physical)
Yes (Tactile)
Microphone On/Off
No
No
Additional Controls
Yes
Yes
In The Box
In The Box Photo
Sound
Frequency Response Accuracy
6.3
6.5
Frequency Response Graph
Slope
-0.31
-0.41
Std. Err.
3.76 dB
3.49 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
68.3 Hz
70.3 Hz
High-Frequency Extension
13.7 kHz
17.7 kHz
Raw Frequency Response
Raw Frequency Response Graph
Binaural Recording @ 1m
Binaural Recording @ 2m
Soundstage
6.3
7.3
Directivity Graph
Directivity Index
3.29 dB
1.30 dB
Stereo
No (mono)
No (mono)
Dynamics
5.8
5.9
Dynamic Range Compression
SPL @ Max Volume
85.5 dB SPL
76.7 dB SPL
DRC @ Max Volume
3.74 dB
1.36 dB
Active Features
Battery
7.3
0.0
Battery Life
8.2 hrs
N/A
Charge Time
2.6 hrs
N/A
Power Saving
Yes
No
Charging Port
USB-C
No Battery
Battery Powered
Yes
No
Voice Assistant
0.0
9.1
Alexa
No
No
Google Assistant
No
No
Speakerphone
No
Yes
Siri
No
Built-in
Voice Assistant
No
Yes
Voice Activation
No
Yes
Microphone Mute
No Microphone
Yes
Far-Field Performance
No Microphone
Excellent
Ambient Noise Performance
No Microphone
Decent
App
6.6
6.6
App Picture
App Name
JBL Portable
Apple Home
iOS
Yes
Yes
Android
Yes
No
EQ
No
No
Stereo Pair Mode
Yes
Yes
Party Mode
Yes
Yes
Multi-Room
No
Yes
Connectivity
Wired
Aux Input
No
No
USB Audio
No
No
Other Ports
No
No
Bluetooth
8.4
0.0
Bluetooth
Yes
No
Bluetooth Version
4.2
No Bluetooth
Bluetooth iOS Latency
154 ms
N/A
Bluetooth Android Latency
96 ms
N/A
Bluetooth Range
219.8 ft (67.0 m)
N/A
Multi-Device Pairing
2 Devices
No
Wi-Fi
0.0
8.2
Wi-Fi Version
No Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 4
Wi-Fi Frequency Band
No Wi-Fi
2.4GHz & 5GHz
Wi-Fi
No
Yes
Apple AirPlay
No
Yes
AirPlay Latency
N/A
11 ms
Google Chromecast
No
No
Chromecast Latency
N/A
N/A
Check Price
Blue
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Blue
HomePod mini
SEARCH
Amazon.com
White
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
HomePod mini
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Yellow
Flip 5
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Yellow
HomePod mini
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Black
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Midnight
HomePod mini
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Black Camo
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Orange
HomePod mini
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Camo
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Space Gray
HomePod mini
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Gray
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Green
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Pink
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Red
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Sand
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Teal
Flip 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
To access
and
Become an Insider
unlimited full product reviews,
product prices
other exclusive site features
JBL Flip 5
Apple HomePod mini
Comments
JBL Flip 5 vs Apple HomePod mini: Main Discussion
What do you think of these products? Let us know below.
Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.