Beats Pill (2024) Review: Familiar Design, Better Features, Lower Price

Beats spent the last year or two overhauling its product lineup by refreshing existing products and adding new ones. It was only a matter of time before it got to the Beats Pill, the company’s iconic capsule-shaped Bluetooth speaker. The most recent one was the Beats Pill+, which released in 2015 and was discontinued in 2022. It’s so old that the Pill+ has its own app in the App Store, while all other Beats and Apple audio products have been integrated with iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS. Now, we have a formal successor, and it’s called the Beats Pill — not to be confused with the very first Pill that started this lineup.

The new Pill brings all the features Beats became known for in the Apple era and then some. The Pill+ was released under Apple’s direction, but it included things like a Lightning connector and lacked key integration. This version uses USB-C for charging and integrates with both the Apple and Android ecosystems. With a familiar and portable design, long battery life, and water-resistance, the Beats Pill is ready to tackle the sporty speaker market head-on. After spending over a week with it, I think it’s the perfect companion for beach days, workouts, or any other time you need audio on the go.

About this review: Beats provided a Pill speaker for the purposes of this review. The company had no input in this article, and did not see its contents before publishing.

Sporty speaker

Beats Pill (2024)

A fun speaker for an active lifestyle

The new Beats Pill is the first Bluetooth speaker from the brand since the old Pill+ was discontinued in 2022. It retains the classic Pill design language while embracing the pill-shaped aesthetic for a more rounded look. The speaker now has improved water resistance, longer battery life, Find My and Find My Device support, and more.

Pros

• Silicone materials and clever design makes the Pill easy to hold
• Sound quality is pretty good for the form factor
• Great integration with Apple and Android devices
• IP rating makes the Pill a top pick for beach and pool use

Cons

• No 3.5mm audio jack
• Power button does too many things

Pricing, specs, and availability

After teasing the reveal on X (formerly Twitter) last week, Beats officially announced the new Pill today, June 25. The company also gave the Beats Pill to a few celebrities, including NBA superstar LeBron James and Kim Kardashian, ahead of a public reveal. The wait is over, as you can now order the new Beats Pill yourself.

The speaker retails for $149, and will be available from Apple as well as third-party retailers. It comes in black, red, and gold colorways. This is actually a significant price cut for the Pill, as the Pill+ it succeeds was priced at $230.

Design

The classic Pill design, with a few welcomed tweaks

The Beats Pill doesn’t look markedly different from prior generations, and that’s because there are only so many ways to tweak the design of a capsule. However, it’s clear that Beats thoughtfully designed the Pill. It is now more curved than the Pill+, which had a flat top and bottom. It also has improved durability and water resistance with an IP67 rating. The drivers are angled slightly upward so that sounds are directed up toward your ears rather than straight forward. This is a big deal, because the Pill sounds significantly better when you’re directly in front of it.

More than the tilted drivers, the thing I love about the Beats Pill design is how the silicone bottom is slightly concave. It’s the perfect place to put your thumb when clutching the Pill in your hand, making it really comfortable to carry around. Of course, there’s a lanyard loop to make carrying the Pill easier. But there are a few situations when you might want to grasp the speaker directly, like while running, cycling, or other intensive activities. It might sound strange, but as someone who has done group long distance running for years, Bluetooth speakers are absolutely used for this purpose. The Beats Pill will be outstanding as a way to share tunes during group workouts.

I reviewed the Pill in the “Beats Red” colorway, and it really pops in this iconic shade. It’s similar to the red Beats Solo Buds, but those earbuds feature a semi-transparent carrying case.

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The Beats Pill is mostly made of silicone with a metal speaker grill and the Beats logo on the front. There isn’t much else to say about the design. There are four buttons on the top of the speaker: a power button, play/pause button, and two volume buttons. They’re completely covered by the silicone housing, but they are real buttons — not capacitive or touch controls.

My only gripe with the controls is that the power button is trying to do too much. A quick press of the power button shows a status light, a slightly-longer press will turn the Pill off, and an even longer press enters pairing mode. I’ve definitely triggered pairing mode a few times when what I really wanted was to shut the thing off.

Sound quality

Really good considering the portable and wireless form factor

With a speaker like the Beats Pill, sound quality isn’t the most important factor. I’d argue that volume is much more important, because you’ll want to fill a beach, a park, or somewhere else with portable sound. Volume is an interesting story with the Beats Pill. I like that the sound is crisp, full, and detailed even at low volume levels. It’s very common for speakers in this category to need to be set to certain volume levels to sound their best. That hasn’t been my experience with the Pill.

However, the Pill isn’t the loudest speaker of its kind. I’ve used the JBL Charge 3 for a few years, and it’s definitely louder than the Pill. JBL has replaced the Charge 3 twice now, and the Charge 5 is the top-of-the-line pick in this category. Based on my experience with the Charge 3, I’d say the Charge 5 is probably louder than the Beats Pill, too. If maximum volume is your main priority, there are other options that might suit your needs better.

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As far as the overall sound quality is concerned, it sounds pretty good. There are two drivers inside the Beats Pill, and it provides a solid amount of bass. You can make out sounds from all areas of the soundstage, and the speaker sounds good at all volumes. Compared to Apple speakers, the Beats Pill is probably better than the HomePod Mini but definitely worse than the HomePod 2. That’s to be expected. While the JBL Charge 3 is louder, the Beats Pill sounds better.

You can’t ask for much more from the Beats Pill. At a price of $149, in this form factor, and as a Bluetooth speaker, this is par for the course. If sound quality is really important to you, this entire category of speakers won’t be a good fit. Portability, battery life, water resistance are all more important in this category, and the Pill checks all those boxes.

Battery life

It’s also a portable charger for your smartphone

Battery life on the Pill is excellent, and it can last days or weeks depending on how often you listen to music. It’s rated for about a full day of power when listening to music. Since it uses USB-C for charging, it’s easy to keep it powered on. This iteration thankfully ditches the Lightning connector, and there’s a USB-C cable in the box. You’ll need to use your own power adapter, though.

The Beats Pill also works as a power bank, although that’ll reduce the speaker’s battery life. If your phone’s battery is getting low, you can connect it to the Beats Pill via a USB-C to USB-C cable and use the Pill to keep your phone alive. You can triple-tap the power button to change the charging direction. It won’t replace a dedicated power bank, but it’s a neat feature.

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Should you buy the Beats Pill?

You should buy the Beats Pill if:

• You want a compact and portable Bluetooth speaker
• You want integration with Apple and Android ecosystems, including Find My and Find My Device
• You like the Beats Pill’s design

You should NOT buy the Beats Pill if:

• You want a speak er primarily for at-home use
• The Beats Pill design is too flashy for your personal taste
• You’d be fine with a cheaper Bluetooth speaker with more basic features

The appeal of the Beats Pill goes beyond the features and what’s on the spec sheet. It sounds cliché, but the Beats Pill is a lifestyle. It’s for people who want to blast tunes on the beach, listen to songs while playing backyard football, or get some motivation while working out. The compact form factor, comfortable design, IP rating, and included lanyard loop are all conducive to those use cases.

Another thing to consider is that Apple doesn’t make a Bluetooth speaker. The HomePod Mini and HomePod 2 both require constant power and a network connection to work properly. So, if you want a portable wireless speaker with Apple features, the Beats Pill is your only option. At $149, it isn’t a bad one.

Sporty speaker

Beats Pill (2024)

A fun speaker for an active lifestyle

The new Beats Pill is a great alternative to popular wireless speakers designed to be portable and sporty, like those from JBL. With a lower price, longer battery life, and better sound quality, the Pill marks the triumphant return of Beats to the Bluetooth speaker market.