In some ways, Anker's new Soundcore Boom 3i is the spiritual successor to the company's popular Soundcore Motion Plus speaker that was released in 2020. It's similarly shaped but has more of an outdoor adventure slant with Anker calling it "built for the wild" and billing it as the first Bluetooth speaker with playback in water, as it floats and "auto-corrects" to keep the speaker drivers facing upward just above the surface.
As you'd expect from a speaker that promotional photos show strapped onto a kayak (it does have a detachable carrying strap), the Soundcore Boom 3i is fully waterproof and dust-resistant, with an IP68 rating. Anker takes things a step further, touting the Boom 3i as "5X" saltwater-resistant.
You shouldn't expect audiophile sound from a mono Bluetooth speaker of this ilk. But for the most part, the Soundcore Boom 3i gives you what you want from a portable Bluetooth speaker from a sound perspective. By that I mean it plays loud for its size -- it weighs about 1.8 pounds and measures 8.3 by 3.1 by 3.3 inches -- plus it puts out a reasonable amount of bass and has fairly respectable clarity. You can find speakers that sound a little more natural, but these types of rugged portable speakers aren't designed for critical listening (it can distort a little at higher volumes).
I tested the speaker's playback in water and indeed it flipped over, so the speaker drivers were facing up, and the music kept playing, though the audio got a little garbled when a little wave passed over the speaker, and the drivers started spitting water out. The speaker also has another interesting feature: Holding down the "BassUp" bass-boost button for 5 seconds sets off a 96-decibel emergency alarm -- Anker says it's clearly audible at up to 100 meters -- with flashing red LED lights (yes, the speaker has a built light show). You can hit any button to turn the alarm off.