Apple’s new Beats Pill speaker is ‘seriously loud’ and refreshingly affordable
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Expected by a lot of folks for nearly a decade now and teased by Apple (in collaboration with some of the world’s top athletes and musicians) for a good few months, the “New” Beats Pill speaker is finally here, and it’s pretty spectacular.
Yes, you are looking at a “dumb” audio accessory for your iPhone or Android handset here rather than some kind of smart new addition to the company’s Amazon Echo-rivaling HomePod roster. But the specs, features, and especially the pricing of the 2024 Beats Pill undeniably make this a product worth considering for brand nostalgics, hardcore Apple fans, and even general portable Bluetooth speaker users.
This is what the New Beats Pill is all about:
Powerful, room-filling sound across the audio spectrum;
Updated tweeter with crisp highs and rich mid-range tones;
High-resolution lossless audio via USB-C cable;
Removable lanyard and soft-grip silicone backing to maximize portability;
Seamless one-touch pairing with iOS and Android devices;
Native Find My Device support;
Class 1 Bluetooth connectivity;
Up to 24 hours of battery life;
Fast Fuel support for up to two hours of playback after a quick 10-minute charge;
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery;
Phone charging capabilities using USB-C cable;
Center button for music and call controls;
Volume up/down buttons;
System button for power, pairing, and voice assistant;
IP67 water and dust resistance;
219 x 71 x 70mm dimensions;
680 grams weight;
Matte Black, Statement Red, and Champagne Gold color options.
How much does the new Beats Pill cost and where is it available?
You may not have expected this, especially after it took the recently unveiled Beats Solo Buds almost two months to become available, but the “completely redesigned and reengineered” Beats Pill is already up for grabs and shipping from both the official online Apple and Beats Stores stateside.
Perhaps even more surprisingly, at least if you haven’t paid much attention to the rumors preceding today’s launch, the massively upgraded Pill is priced at a very reasonable $149.99 in all three of its eye-catching colorways. That’s down from the original $199 list price of the first-gen Beats Pill back in 2012, also undercutting the $230 Pill+ from three years later.
The redesigned new Beats Pill speaker still looks… just like a pill. | Image Credit — Apple
Of course, a lot has changed in the tech industry since 2015, and while high-end smartphones or tablets have gotten costlier and costlier in the last few years, many of the best Bluetooth speakers out there right now are priced at $200 or less.
Still, it’s not every day that you see Apple vastly improve the battery life and overall performance of one of its popular products while at the same time lowering its starting price, so you should definitely be excited about this reborn Beats Pill.
New Beats Pill vs the competition
While Apple is not the kind of company that likes to compare its products to the competition for advertising purposes, we’re going to do precisely that in its stead really quickly.
That 24-hour battery endurance rating, for instance, is slightly better than the 20 hours of uninterrupted playtime promised by something like the JBL Charge 5, which typically costs $180 and can frequently be purchased for as little as $140 nowadays.
The $150 Bose SoundLink Flex, meanwhile, only claims to be able to keep your block party going for a maximum of 12 hours between charges, not to mention that the 2024 Beats Pill looks set to crush most of its budget-friendly rivals with its towering audio performance.
A “bespoke racetrack woofer” is apparently responsible for deep bass and minimal low-end distortion “even at high volumes”, and the revised design of the iconic Pill includes a 20-degree upward tilt aimed at optimizing sound delivery to your ears. It truly feels like Apple has put a lot of thought into this revival, doing everything possible to make the Beats Pill speaker more powerful, convenient, and value-packed than ever.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian’s passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for ‘adequate’ over ‘overpriced’.
