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JLab’s tiny JBuds Mini wireless earbuds are the smallest we’ve ever seen

By Simon Cohen August 31, 2023

Hands holding JLab JBuds Mini. — JLab

Officially, JLab isn’t saying that its new JBuds Mini wireless earbuds are the smallest in the world. After all, with the insane number of wireless earbuds now available on Amazon, Alibaba, and elsewhere, there could be some that are smaller than the JBuds Mini. Instead, JLab’s claim is that the JBuds Mini are the smallest true wireless earbud from any major manufacturer. And I’m forced to agree — I’ve never seen any buds this small.

JLab announced the JBuds Mini at CES 2023 and we’ve been patiently waiting for the company to make them available. Today’s the day: You can buy them from JLab directly or from retailers like Amazon for $40.

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The almost comically small earbuds come with their own metal keyring, and why not? At a total weight of 1e ounce (keyring included), they weigh about as much as four typical house keys. There’s also a variety of colors to pick from: black, aqua teal, mint green, pink, and sage gray.

JLab JBuds Mini in five colors. — JLab

You won’t find fancy extras like active noise cancellation (ANC) or wireless charging on the JBuds Mini, but considering their price, I’m impressed by what they do offer. They’ve got an IP55 rating for dust and water protection — which is more than Apple gives its $249 AirPods Pro — and they have Bluetooth Multipoint, which lets you keep the earbuds connected to two devices simultaneously without needing to connect/disconnect.

JLab JBuds Mini seen with keys, next to an iPhone. — JLab

You get a claimed 5.5 hours of playtime in each earbud,or 20 total hours when you include the case. That’s not going to break any records, but it’s still more than enough for a whole day’s worth of use. Plus, you get JLab’s version of transparency mode, which it calls Be Aware, and it’s a great feature for folks who want to listen to their tunes in places where the difference between hearing the world and not could be critical.

Finally, the JBuds Mini can be controlled by the free JLab App (iOS/Android) , which gives you customization of the Be Aware setting, touch controls, and three EQ presets (JLab signature, balance or bass boost). A safe hearing option also helps you to protect your ears from hearing damage with configurable volume limits.

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Contributing Editor, A/V

Simon Cohen is a contributing editor to Digital Trends' Audio/Video section, where he obsesses over the latest wireless…

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JLab’s new skin tone earbuds go beyond black and white

JLab Go Air Tones.

Sneaking in just ahead of CES 2022, JLab has debuted a new set of true wireless earbuds that come in a variety of skin tone-inspired colors. The $20 Go Air Tones are based on JLab's Go Air Pop true wireless earbuds, but they feature skin tones that have been specially selected by Orly Color Labs, a division of the Los Angeles-based nail care brand Orly. The new earbuds are up for pre-order on December 30 and will start shipping in mid-January 2022.

Each Go Air Tones matches one of seven specific Pantone colors selected by Orly, in warm, neutral, and cool undertones, reminiscent of the enhanced skin tone emoji that Apple introduced in 2015. Recognizing that seven skin tones may not be enough to match everyone's particular preference, JLab is also taking requests for additional colors via its website.

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Yamaha’s $100 TW-E3B true wireless earbuds are its smallest yet

Woman wearing Yamaha's TW-E3B true wireless earbuds.

Yamaha has a new set of true wireless earbuds that it claims are the smallest ones it has ever made. The $100 TW-E3B pick up where the TW-E3A left off, with tons of color options (black, green, gray, blue, pink, and purple) and a size and shape that the company says is 25% smaller than the previous model. You'll be able to buy the TW-E3B in late October.

Other than the new color options and smaller size, there doesn't appear to be much difference between the old and new models, which explains why Yamaha simply called the new edition "E3B," instead of giving it a whole new model number. In fact, if the colors and size don't matter to you, you can now buy the E3A at a significant discount -- Yamaha has dropped the price on the older version from $130 to just $50, a savings that presumably will only stick around until all remaining E3A inventory is gone.

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At $20, JLab’s latest wireless earbuds are almost disposable

JLab Go Air Pop in multiple colors.

Just how affordable can a set of true wireless earbuds get? Until today, we would have said $25 -- the price that Skullcandy charges for its surprisingly good Skullcandy Dime. But now, there's no denying that JLab has raised the bar on lower prices with its $20 Go Air Pop, which are available today in a variety of bright colors like lilac, rose, slate, and teal, plus basic black.

Despite the rock bottom price, the JLab Go Air Pop are remarkably well-equipped when it comes to features. Each earbud will operate for a claimed 8 hours per charge, with a total playtime of 32 hours when you include their charging case. That's far longer than some very well-known white earbuds that cost more than seven times as much.