JBL Live TWS 3 buds get the brand's innovative smart case

(Image credit: JBL)

published 8 January 2024

JBL made quite a splash in 2023 with the addition of an on-case display to its Tour Pro 2 wireless earbuds, and it's doubling down on the tech now.

At CES 2024 it's shown off three new pairs of earbuds, all of which feature displays on their cases, and coming together to form the JBL Live TWS 3 series.

The three versions, Buds, Beam and Flex really only change the type of earbud inside the case, since each has the exact same design once the case is closed.

There's a 1.45-inch LED touch screen on each, letting you control your music, skip tracks and more, or optionally display favourite images to personalise things further.

They're all substantially smaller than the Tour Pro 2's case was, too, which is a great step since that model was more than a little chunky.

Each variant will also be available in Purple, Blue, Silver and Black, so there should be plenty of variety on show.

The Buds are the most in-ear of the range, pictured above and with a bean-like shape that brings Samsung's earbuds to mind.

By contrast, the Beam looks most like a set of AirPods Pro, combining both in-ear tips and a stem to give a mixture of designs.

Finally, the Flex are basically old-school earbuds like the first-gen AirPods, giving less of a seal for a more relaxed fit.

All three versions will now have Bluetooth 5.3 for slightly (very slightly) improved connectivity, and the addition of multipoint connections.

They'll also all have an IP55 water resistance rating for a bit more durability if you use them in wet weather or while exercising.

Interestingly, there are some battery life differences to go with the designs. Expect to get 40 hours before the case needs to be juiced up for the Live Buds 3, 48 hours for the Live Beam 3 and 50 hours from the Live Flex 3. That said, these are hardly seismic differences and we don't know how long each set of earbuds will last outside of their case.

There's a bit of wait to be had before we can try them, though - JBL says the three versions will arrive in June 2024, priced at £179.99 / €199.99.

Max is T3's Staff Writer for the Tech section – with years of experience reporting on tech and entertainment. He's also a gaming expert, both with the games themselves and in testing accessories and consoles, having previously flexed that expertise at Pocket-lint as a features editor.