Beats in 2022 stopped the Pill+, the company’s last remaining Bluetooth speaker. Before the move, Beats had a decent run of smaller, portable speakers, including the original Pill. Pill XL models. Of course, that period did not pass in vain some headaches and there was no new model since 2015. Now is the time to revive. Beats reintroduced it Pill speaker today with a new design that has been redesigned from the inside out.
The first change you’ll likely notice is the 20-degree upward tilt of the new Beats Pill, which the company says gives the unit improved sound projection. Beats promises “more powerful, room-filling sound, bigger bass and improved tonality” thanks to an updated woofer and tweeter combination that should minimize distortion. The new Pill is 10 percent lighter than the Pill+ and comes with a removable lanyard for easy portability. The speaker is also IP67 rated for dust and water resistance, which should be good enough to protect the device if it accidentally takes a quick dip in the pool.
Similar to previous models, you can sync two Pill speakers for a more robust sound. The company gives you the choice of a louder Amplification mode or a Stereo mode that separates the left and right channels. Beats explains that it improves the Pill’s speakerphone capabilities, largely thanks to the company’s noise-learning algorithm. By combating ambient noise, the company says it can pick up your voice better during calls.
The Pill still has on-device controls for music, volume, pairing and power, and the speaker charges via USB-C. That wired connection can also be used to charge your phone from a speaker battery or send lossless audio from a laptop or other device. Beats says you can expect up to 24 hours of battery life, plus there’s a Quick Fuel feature that gets two of our uses in 10 minutes. One-touch pairing is available on iOS and Android, and there’s compatibility for both Find My and Find My Device when you need it.
New Beats Pill It’s available for pre-order today in black, red, and gold color options for $150. Beats said it will begin shipping the speaker on June 27.
