ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The redesigned Beats Pill speaker is available now for $150 in Champagne Gold, Statement Red, and Matte Black.
- An impressive battery life and a subtle, clean design set the Beats Pill apart from its competitors.
- Beats’ overemphasized, bass-forward sound can mask the other aspects of a song.
Bluetooth speakers are as popular as ever, as Sony, Bose, Sonos, and JBL have shown by refreshing and revamping their selections just in time for summer. The competition is so hot and full of heavy hitters that it pulled Beats out of retirement.
With the new Beats Pill, Apple has reversed its departure from the Bluetooth speaker game. For reference, the last Beats speaker was the Pill+ from 2015.
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I was curious to see what upgrades the Beats Pill (2024) offers. Fortunately, I was hosting friends all weekend and had the perfect opportunity to see if the new speaker had what it took to satisfy our audio needs. Should you upgrade to the new Pill or invest in Bose, Sony, or Soundcore instead? Read on as I attempt to answer this question.
The new Pill is Beats’ third product release this summer, following the fantastic Solo 4 and less-great Solo Buds.
The Beats Pill delivers a bass-forward sound profile, similar to many of the company’s other speakers and headphones. Electronic music with heavy, skipping basslines, like Charlie XCX’s Club Classics, sounded electrifying and full, with a heavy emphasis on the lower frequencies.
I wish Apple would license AirPlay to Beats, but I suspect withholding this feature is meant to leave HomePod sales unharmed. When I have guests over, I like to play music from my iPhone to my Sonos Arc via AirPlay, which streams over Wi-Fi, not Bluetooth, so my incoming notifications don’t disrupt the music. AirPlay also allows me to take my phone with me outside to greet guests without interrupting the ongoing jam session.
The new Pill speaker stays true to its tagline, “Seriously loud.” For its size, this thing gets crazy loud. Lil Wayne’s 6 Foot 7 Foot shook the table I set the Pill speaker on with enough volume to fill every corner of my house.
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That said, you can pair two Pill speakers together to access Amplify and Stereo Mode for maximum volume. Amplify Mode uses two speakers to play the same audio output, while Stereo Mode allows for left/right audio playback.
A redesigned woofer system helps the Pill achieve super loud volumes, and Beats says the latest Pill has a 90% increase in air volume displacement compared to its predecessor, the Pill+. This figure explains how the Pill’s subwoofers can move more air, but bigger isn’t always better.
That’s why, at louder volumes, the Pill speaker struggles to maintain clarity. My guests aren’t audio snobs — the bass was jumping and everyone was singing along to our favorite songs — but I noticed. Bose and Sonos’ offerings may have a more transparent, crisper sound, but Beats bests everyone with endurance. By Sunday evening, I had enough battery life to party for another weekend without plugging the speaker in to charge.
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The Pill speaker has a 24-hour battery life, double that of similarly-priced competitors. Like all of Beats’ newer products, the Pill speaker is unique in its compatibility with iOS and Android devices, including features like Find My and one-touch pairing for iOS and a companion app and Bluetooth multipoint pairing for Android.
The new Pill debuts with a redesigned form factor, sporting rounded edges and a lanyard for enhanced portability. Apple’s design influence on the Beats brand is reminiscent of Sonos’ design philosophy of creating products that coexist with anyone’s home decor choices. Sony’s Ult Field 1 speaker and JBL’s Flip 6 speaker have more rugged, angular design features, while Bose, Sonos, and Beats opt for a muted, subdued appearance.
With an IP67 rating, the Beats Pill is dustproof and can survive accidental drops in the pool. If your guests have too much fun, the Pill can withstand spills, bumps, and splashes. My test unit endured multiple drops and speckles of beverages without skipping a beat (no pun intended).
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Beats ditched the mini USB port for a USB-C port, which offers lossless audio and can intelligently charge or be charged by your other devices when plugged in.
ZDNET’s buying advice
The 2024 Beats Pill offers many more features than its predecessor, and for $50 less. After the Solo Buds, Beats needed a product to redeem itself — and the Beats Pill does the job.
If you have fond memories of the older Beats Pill speakers, and you’re still rocking an outdated Bluetooth speaker, the Pill is the upgrade you need. Its low-key design allows it to blend into any environment, and its all-day battery life can keep the party going for hours. Plus, its compatibility with native iOS and Android features makes it the perfect companion for people with mixed-device ecosystems.
However, if you want a Bluetooth speaker with a more refined sound and even more compatibility with your Android and Alexa-enabled devices, consider the Sonos Roam 2. If portability isn’t your priority, but sound quality is a non-negotiable, consider the Edifier QR65 desktop speakers.
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