Scored using Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0
Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are scored under Frontum Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0: technical specifications plus authentic consumer ratings, with 0% commercial bias.
Explore Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0

Bose SoundLink Micro Review | 130 Data compared

Avg. price:~£80Audio output power:?Battery life:6 hoursIP rating:IP67Bluetooth version:4.2Weight:?

Bose SoundLink Micro Review: Compare 130 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Portable Speakers category and whether it is worth buying.

Bose SoundLink Micro
7.0/10

Overall score

Score
7.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of products in the Portable Speakers category, based on technical analysis and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference for identifying the best products in the Portable Speakers category.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

80%

6.3

Technical score

20%

9.6

User score

▲Better than 66% of portable speakers
7.9

Value for money

Value for money
7.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the overall score of products in the Portable Speakers category with their prices.
When it matters
When you are comparing products in the Portable Speakers category and want a good balance between quality and price.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

7.0

Overall score

30%

10

Price

▲Better than 76%
6.3

Technical score

Technical score
6.3/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Portable Speakers category across these key areas: Audio, Connectivity, Battery, Durability, Controls, Design, Smart features.
When it matters
When you want to compare products in the Portable Speakers category by technical performance, specifications, and available features.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

32%

4.8

Audio

20%

4.7

Battery

18%

9.3

Durability

16%

6.4

Connectivity

8%

8.4

Controls

3%

8.1

Design

3%

7.1

Smart features

▼Worse than 66%
9.6

User score

User score
9.6/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews with the total review volume for products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you want to know how products in the Portable Speakers category perform in everyday use and how reliable owners find them over time.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

9.4

User ratings

30%

10

Number of reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
★Better than 98%
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Where to buy
*As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Portable Speakers model ranking

Ranked #328 of 1,316 models in Portable Speakers (Overall score)

Technical Specifications of portable speaker Bose SoundLink Micro

Technical score
Technical score
6.3/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Portable Speakers category across these key areas: Audio, Connectivity, Battery, Durability, Controls, Design, Smart features.
When it matters
When you want to compare products in the Portable Speakers category by technical performance, specifications, and available features.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

32%

4.8

Audio

20%

4.7

Battery

18%

9.3

Durability

16%

6.4

Connectivity

8%

8.4

Controls

3%

8.1

Design

3%

7.1

Smart features

6.3
User score
User score
9.6/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews with the total review volume for products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you want to know how products in the Portable Speakers category perform in everyday use and how reliable owners find them over time.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

9.4

User ratings

30%

10

Number of reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
9.6
Popularity
Popularity
10/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you prefer products in the Portable Speakers category that have been chosen and reviewed by many other buyers.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Popularity:
Bose SoundLink Micro has a popularity score of 10 points, which is higher than 92% of products in this category.
10
Value for money
Value for money
7.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the overall score of products in the Portable Speakers category with their prices.
When it matters
When you are comparing products in the Portable Speakers category and want a good balance between quality and price.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

70%

7.0

Overall score

30%

10

Price

7.9
Audio output power
?
Driver unit size
40 mm
This portable speaker has a driver unit size of 40 mm which is smaller than that of 76.3% of portable speakers and equal to that of 13.2% of portable speakers.
Number of drivers
1
This portable speaker has 1 drivers, which is fewer than 75.6% of portable speakers and equal to the number in 24.4% of portable speakers.
Frequency response tolerance
?
Lowest frequency
91 Hz
This portable speaker has a lowest frequency of 91 Hz which is higher than that of 82% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.1% of portable speakers.
Show more
Bluetooth connectivity
yes
This portable speaker supports Bluetooth audio. 5.4% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Bluetooth version
4.2
This portable speaker supports Bluetooth version 4.2 which is older than that of 53.8% of portable speakers and equal to that of 17.8% of portable speakers.
Maximum Bluetooth range
9 m
This portable speaker has a maximum Bluetooth range of 9 m which is shorter than that of 95.8% of portable speakers and equal to that of 3.5% of portable speakers.
Bluetooth profiles supported
A2DP; AVRCP; HFP; HSP
Bluetooth LE Audio
?
Show more
Battery life
6 hours
This portable speaker has a battery life of 6 hours which is shorter than that of 84.2% of portable speakers and equal to that of 7.3% of portable speakers.
Battery capacity
2,600 mAh
This portable speaker has a battery capacity of 2,600 mAh which is larger than that of 49% of portable speakers and equal to that of 7.4% of portable speakers.
Charging time
4 hours
This portable speaker has a charging time of 4 hours which is longer than that of 67% of portable speakers and equal to that of 19.3% of portable speakers.
Maximum charging input power
5 W
This portable speaker has a maximum charging input power of 5 W which is lower than that of 58.7% of portable speakers and equal to that of 38.5% of portable speakers.
Built-in rechargeable battery
yes
This portable speaker has a built-in rechargeable battery. 18.7% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
IP rating
IP67
This portable speaker has an IP rating of IP67 which provides better ingress protection than 80% of portable speakers and the same ingress protection as 19.1% of portable speakers.
Water resistance
yes
This portable speaker is water resistant. 38.3% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Dust resistance
yes
This portable speaker is dust resistant. 48.6% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Waterproof depth rating
1 m
This portable speaker has a waterproof depth rating of 1 m which is deeper than that of 52.6% of portable speakers and equal to that of 47.4% of portable speakers.
Drop resistance
?
Show more
On-device controls placement
top; bottom
Touchscreen
no
This portable speaker does not have a touchscreen. 0.3% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Smartphone app control
yes
This portable speaker supports smartphone app control. 46.1% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Compatible mobile app provides speaker control or settings.
Remote control
no
This portable speaker does not include a remote control. 15% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Fast pairing
yes
This portable speaker supports fast pairing. 77.6% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
Weight
?
Height
9.83 cm
This portable speaker has a height of 9.83 cm which is shorter than that of 62.3% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.1% of portable speakers.
Width
?
Depth
3.48 cm
This portable speaker has a depth of 3.48 cm which is shallower than that of 96% of portable speakers.
Carry options
strap
Show more
Companion app name
Bose Connect
Firmware updates
yes
This portable speaker supports firmware updates. 52.9% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Supports user-accessible firmware updates.
Firmware update method
OTA; App; USB
Voice assistant support
yes
This portable speaker supports voice assistants. 73.6% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Supports direct voice-assistant control.
Spotify Connect
no
This portable speaker does not support Spotify Connect. 10.8% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more

Bose SoundLink Micro vs the average portable speaker

246810TotalAudioConnectivityBatteryDurabilityControlsDesignSmart features
  • Better ingress protection
    This portable speaker has better ingress protection than the average portable speaker (IP67 vs IPX5).
    IP67 vs IPX5
  • 1 m deeper waterproof rating
    This portable speaker has a deeper waterproof depth rating than the average portable speaker (1 m vs 0 m).
    1 m vs 0 m
  • 1 more multipoint connections
    This portable speaker has more multipoint connections than the average portable speaker (2 vs 1).
    2 vs 1
  • Has an equalizer
    This portable speaker has an equalizer, while the average portable speaker does not have an equalizer.
    Offers user-selectable EQ, tone adjustment, or sound presets.
  • Has a power bank function
    This portable speaker has a power bank function, while the average portable speaker does not have a power bank function.
  • Supports fast pairing
    This portable speaker supports fast pairing, while the average portable speaker does not support fast pairing.
  • Supports party mode
    This portable speaker supports party mode, while the average portable speaker does not support party mode.
    Supports synchronized multi-speaker party/group playback.
  • Has a USB Type-C port
    This portable speaker has a USB Type-C port, while the average portable speaker does not have a USB Type-C port.
    Has a physical USB-C port.
  • 19.8% higher user score
    User score
    9.6/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews with the total review volume for products in the Portable Speakers category.
    When it matters
    When you want to know how products in the Portable Speakers category perform in everyday use and how reliable owners find them over time.
    Score distribution
    ▼
    ▼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    Bose SoundLink Micro
    the average portable speaker
    Bose SoundLink Micro has a higher user score than the average portable speaker (9.58 vs 8).
    9.58 vs 8
  • 2.38x more popular
    Bose SoundLink Micro is more popular than the average portable speaker (10 vs 4.21).
    10 vs 4.21
  • 1 more multipoint connections
    This portable speaker has more multipoint connections than the average portable speaker (2 vs 1).
    2 vs 1
  • Has a USB Type-C port
    This portable speaker has a USB Type-C port, while the average portable speaker does not have a USB Type-C port.
    Has a physical USB-C port.
  • Supports AAC Bluetooth audio
    This portable speaker supports AAC Bluetooth audio, while the average portable speaker does not support AAC Bluetooth audio.
  • Has a power bank function
    This portable speaker has a power bank function, while the average portable speaker does not have a power bank function.
  • Better ingress protection
    This portable speaker has better ingress protection than the average portable speaker (IP67 vs IPX5).
    IP67 vs IPX5
  • 1 m deeper waterproof rating
    This portable speaker has a deeper waterproof depth rating than the average portable speaker (1 m vs 0 m).
    1 m vs 0 m
  • Has an equalizer
    This portable speaker has an equalizer, while the average portable speaker does not have an equalizer.
    Offers user-selectable EQ, tone adjustment, or sound presets.
  • Supports fast pairing
    This portable speaker supports fast pairing, while the average portable speaker does not support fast pairing.
  • Supports party mode
    This portable speaker supports party mode, while the average portable speaker does not support party mode.
    Supports synchronized multi-speaker party/group playback.
  • Has a programmable button
    This portable speaker has a programmable button, while the average portable speaker does not have a programmable button.
    Has a user-programmable physical button.
  • Has a sleep timer
    This portable speaker has a sleep timer, while the average portable speaker does not have a sleep timer.
    A selectable timer can stop playback or power the speaker down.
  • 4.82 cm shallower
    This portable speaker is shallower than the average portable speaker (3.5 cm vs 8.3 cm).
    3.48 cm vs 8.3 cm
  • Supports voice assistants
    This portable speaker supports voice assistants, while the average portable speaker does not support voice assistants.
    Supports direct voice-assistant control.
  • Supports firmware updates
    This portable speaker supports firmware updates, while the average portable speaker does not support firmware updates.
    Supports user-accessible firmware updates.
  • 6 hours shorter battery life
    This portable speaker has a shorter battery life than the average portable speaker (6 hours vs 12 hours).
    6 hours vs 12 hours
  • 14 dB SPL lower maximum sound pressure
    This portable speaker has a lower maximum sound pressure level than the average portable speaker (78 dB SPL vs 92 dB SPL).
    78 dB SPL vs 92 dB SPL
  • 4,000 Hz lower maximum frequency
    This portable speaker has a lower maximum frequency than the average portable speaker (16,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz).
    16,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This portable speaker has fewer microphones than the average portable speaker (0 vs 1).
    0 vs 1
  • 31 Hz less deep bass extension
    This portable speaker has less deep bass extension than the average portable speaker (91 Hz vs 60 Hz).
    91 Hz vs 60 Hz
  • 1 hours longer charging time
    This portable speaker has a longer charging time than the average portable speaker (4 hours vs 3 hours).
    4 hours vs 3 hours
  • 10 mm smaller main driver
    This portable speaker has a smaller main driver than the average portable speaker (40 mm vs 50 mm).
    40 mm vs 50 mm
  • Does not have a 3.5 mm AUX input
    This portable speaker does not have a 3.5 mm AUX input, while the average portable speaker has a 3.5 mm AUX input.
    No built-in 3.5 mm AUX input.
  • 14 dB SPL lower maximum sound pressure
    This portable speaker has a lower maximum sound pressure level than the average portable speaker (78 dB SPL vs 92 dB SPL).
    78 dB SPL vs 92 dB SPL
  • 4,000 Hz lower maximum frequency
    This portable speaker has a lower maximum frequency than the average portable speaker (16,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz).
    16,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This portable speaker has fewer microphones than the average portable speaker (0 vs 1).
    0 vs 1
  • 31 Hz less deep bass extension
    This portable speaker has less deep bass extension than the average portable speaker (91 Hz vs 60 Hz).
    91 Hz vs 60 Hz
  • 10 mm smaller main driver
    This portable speaker has a smaller main driver than the average portable speaker (40 mm vs 50 mm).
    40 mm vs 50 mm
  • 1 fewer speaker drivers
    This portable speaker has fewer speaker drivers than the average portable speaker (1 vs 2).
    1 vs 2
  • Does not have a 3.5 mm AUX input
    This portable speaker does not have a 3.5 mm AUX input, while the average portable speaker has a 3.5 mm AUX input.
    No built-in 3.5 mm AUX input.
  • 0.8 Bluetooth levels older
    This portable speaker has an older Bluetooth version than the average portable speaker (4.2 vs 5).
    4.2 vs 5
  • 1 m shorter Bluetooth range
    This portable speaker has a shorter Bluetooth range than the average portable speaker (9 m vs 10 m).
    9 m vs 10 m
  • 6 hours shorter battery life
    This portable speaker has a shorter battery life than the average portable speaker (6 hours vs 12 hours).
    6 hours vs 12 hours
  • 1 hours longer charging time
    This portable speaker has a longer charging time than the average portable speaker (4 hours vs 3 hours).
    4 hours vs 3 hours
  • 5 W lower charging input power
    This portable speaker has lower charging input power than the average portable speaker (5 W vs 10 W).
    5 W vs 10 W
  • 20 °C higher minimum operating temperature
    This portable speaker has a higher minimum operating temperature than the average portable speaker (-20 °C vs 0 °C).
    -20 °C vs 0 °C

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

Expert reviews

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Third-party reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
Reviews last updated: August 2026 · How we calculate this

What customers like about Bose SoundLink Micro

  • Extremely compact, lightweight, and pocket-sized for maximum portability.
  • Rugged build quality with a highly durable silicone exterior that resists drops, scratches, and dents.
  • Excellent IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating, making it highly resilient against rain, pool splashes, and dirt.
  • Versatile, tear-resistant built-in strap allows easy attachment to backpacks, bike handlebars, or belts.
  • Surprisingly clear mids and sharp high-end performance for an ultra-small form factor.
  • Offers multi-device pairing and wireless synchronization with other compatible Bose speakers.

What customers don't like about Bose SoundLink Micro

  • Noticeable lack of deep low-bass rumble, making it less ideal for bass-heavy genres like hip-hop or EDM.
  • Limited maximum volume output, which means it can easily get drowned out in larger or noisy outdoor environments.
  • Priced higher than many equivalent miniature portable speakers from competing brands.
  • Older generations are held back by limited battery life (around 6 hours) and outdated Micro-USB charging ports.
  • Audio is downmixed to mono unless paired with a second unit for dedicated stereo playback.
  • Aggressive automatic Bluetooth reconnection logic can cause the speaker to unexpectedly switch on and hijack phone audio.

Verdict

The Bose SoundLink Micro is an ultra-compact, pocket-sized portable speaker measuring 3.75 by 3.75 inches, weighing 10 ounces, and built with a rugged silicone exterior. It features an IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating, a custom-designed transducer paired with dual passive radiators for deep bass, a tear-resistant mounting strap, and Bluetooth multipoint connectivity with a 6-hour rechargeable battery life. Main pros include its highly durable, adventure-ready construction, surprisingly rich and clear audio clarity for its size, and versatile attachment options. However, notable cons include its relatively short battery endurance at high volumes, a mono-only audio output downmix, distortion when pushed past 85% volume, and its reliance on an outdated Micro-USB charging port.

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