JBL is the first to bring Google Assistant to a big-brand portable speaker in Australia

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OK, Google, you're now waterproof!

Voice assistant-enabled devices aren’t new – there were plenty on display at all the major tech shows around the world during 2017. But Australia has been slow to receive them, with Google Home being the first smart speaker to officially make its way Down Under, followed by Home Mini not that long ago.

Sony then introduced its own Assistant-enabled speaker, the LF-S50G. But they all suffer the same limitation of relying on a wall socket for power – meaning you can’t take them with you to the backyard or to the beach.

JBL is changing the game by introducing the LINK series of voice-activated speakers to Australia. The JBL Link 10 and Link 20 are IPX7 certified, making them waterproof, and all you need to do to get help with your little tasks is to use the voice command “OK, Google”.

Linking the gap

With the Link series speakers, JBL, a Harman company, marries portability and durability with its signature sound.

Battery life does seem a tad meagre compared to other JBL Bluetooth speakers, however – the smaller Link 10 promises up to 5 hours of playback, while the Link 20 could keep going for up to 10 hours.

Like the JBL Playlist, the Link series of speakers also come with multi-room smarts – you can link two or more speakers to fill your whole home (or a large room) with your favourite tunes, as long as they’re all within range of your home’s Wi-Fi network.

Being Bluetooth-enabled, like all of JBL’s portable speakers, you can play music from any mobile device, and built-in Wi-Fi gives you control over your smart home systems, like lighting and thermostats. Of course, you also get to ask Assistant anything else you want, just like you would with Google Home.

First of its kind

JBL is the first big brand to launch a portable voice-activated speaker in Australia. There are lesser-known names on shelves as well, like the Mobvoi TicHome Mini available at Jaycar, but there’s no denying that JBL’s renowned bass-thumping sound will set the Link speakers apart. 

The Link 10 and Link 20 speakers are now available at JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman stores across Australia, retailing at $229 and $299 respectively.

Sharmishta Sarkar
Sharmishta Sarkar
Managing Editor (APAC)

While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, Sharmishta's main priority is being TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor, looking after the day-to-day functioning of the Australian, New Zealand and Singapore editions of the site, steering everything from news and reviews to ecommerce content like deals and coupon codes. While she loves reviewing cameras and lenses when she can, she's also an avid reader and has become quite the expert on ereaders and E Ink writing tablets, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about these underrated devices. Other than her duties at TechRadar, she's also the Managing Editor of the Australian edition of Digital Camera World, and writes for Tom's Guide and T3.