When the original Beats Pill shipped in 2012, the portable Bluetooth speaker was well received despite its glaring flaws. The Pill+ was a good follow-up that allowed the series to last for several more years, but was not constantly refreshed like many of Beats’ best headphones and true wireless earbuds, leaving many wondering if Beats abandoned the product altogether .
Well, all those speculations were finally put to rest. The Beats Pill (2024) is now official and joins the Solo 4 and Solo Buds as part of the brand’s big summer product rollout.
Available in three colors – Champagne Gold, Matte Black and Statement Red – this version is completely redesigned and re-engineered with exclusive technologies that improve functionality, playback time and sound quality. Scroll down to see how the Beats Pill (2024) is better than ever and why it’s a top contender.
The revamped Beats Pill combines more powerful sound, battery life, and connectivity in a sleek, anything-proof design.
Alex Bracetti/CNN highlighted
The sound of the first generation Pill and Pill+ was entertaining, although the sound profile of Beats was excessively boomy and too loud. An eight-year hiatus allowed the brand to refine its latest entry, expanding the frequency range and keeping bass at the forefront. The results are very satisfactory – for the most part.
Common and Pete Rock’s “Dreamin'” had the funky, laid-back bop I wanted from a summer soul track, feeding my ears with reverb-infused horns and thumping snare drums that were reproduced well. The mids and highs receive much more attention on this model and are well balanced compared to bass-heavy productions. This was particularly evident on neo-disco jams like Mark Ronson’s “Too Much,” where guest Lucky Daye’s silky vocals radiated through the metal grilles, thanks to a new acoustic architecture.
Beats developed a new tweeter design to stabilize the mids and highs. The company also reinvented the Pill’s woofer system to enrich the bass response, giving contemporary recordings a warm, punchy resonance. However, blasting the speaker at maximum volume produces significant distortion.
Listen to “New Person, Same Old Mistakes” by Tame Impala for reference. The song sounds superb at 70% volume. The synths are vibrant and the bass riff is electrifying with strong reverb that slowly fades away. Turning the volume higher will boost the bass considerably, although the mids will remain prominent and highlight the airy, ethereal vocals of the track.
Beats’ Amplify and Stereo modes return for those who want a two-speaker setup. Amplify lets you pair two Pill units together and both play the same stereo music. In Stereo mode, one Pill unit plays the left audio channel and the other Pill unit plays the right audio channel. Stereo is more useful and does a convincing job of creating wide, room-filling sound. I placed one speaker in my bedroom and another in my son’s bedroom, while flanked in the living room, and was impressed with the volume and sound projection.
Lossless audio makes its debut in the series, but can only be enjoyed with a wired connection to a compatible device such as a laptop or phone. This was my preferred method of listening while stationary. Clarity and depth get a nice boost and the bass is punchy. Almost everything about Apple Music, Tidal, and some of the other best music streaming services looks appealing.
All this sound quality is housed under an extremely durable shell that respects the series’ iconic capsule design. Notable details are kept intact, including the metal grille with the “b” logo and the rubber-covered buttons, now recessed. Previous versions of Pill did not have a Protection Rating (IP) for durability. This one does – IP67 – making the speaker dustproof, rustproof, shockproof and waterproof.
It works with both iOS and Android
Alex Bracetti/CNN highlightedq
Older Pill models were compatible with most Bluetooth devices. They have also been heavily optimized for use on Apple devices like iPhones and Macs. Beats solved this problem by creating a chipset that supports native software features on Apple and Google operating systems.
Apple users keep basics like auto-switching, Find My mode, and one-click pairing. Android users get Google’s version of some features – Fast Pair and Find My Device – as well as Bluetooth multipoint to pair two Android devices simultaneously. There’s even the Beats app to enable audio sharing modes, assign call features, and enable the Tone Volume feature to adjust the volume of sound effects. These same features are accessible on the dedicated Pill settings page via iOS. Everything is going well.
Alex Bracetti/CNN highlighted
Beats has doubled the playback time of its flagship speaker from 12 hours to 24 hours for a full day of Bluetooth playback. It’s largely accurate based on my testing. Dual pairing and high volume reduced battery life by about five hours. I still had enough juice to last a whole weekend. The Fast-Fuel recharge generated two hours of use on a 10-minute charge. Additionally, the new Pill can also serve as a power bank for charging USB-C devices like the latest iPhone 15 and iPad models, and it can also be recharged when connected to larger machines like a MacBook.
The Pill 2024 offers exceptional hands-free voice calls. Several people said that I was clear and loud when I spoke, both inside and out. The microphones picked up ambient noise which caused some deafening, but callers on the other end were able to make out words and phrases.
This feature also works hand in hand with digital assistance. Beats’ mic array demonstrates excellent voice recognition to recognize and execute Siri/Google Assistant voice commands accurately. Voice activation isn’t available, meaning you can’t launch either AI bot directly through the speaker when you say “Hey Siri” or “Hey Google.” Apple may want to consider adding it as part of a future software update.
It is no longer uncommon for portable speakers to offer immersive 3D sound. Anker offers it on the $199 Soundcore Motion X600, which is a bit more expensive and heavier than the current Beats speaker. Not having spatial audio support on the Pill is disappointing, especially since Apple has a penchant for engineering high-powered technology into small designs.
Alex Bracetti/CNN highlighted
According to Beats, the Pill (2024) shares the same weight as the Pill+: 1.5 pounds. I wasn’t convinced until I stepped on a scale and compared my autonomous body weight to what was recorded while holding the speaker in my hand. It really weighs 1.5 pounds. However, it still feels heavy and cumbersome to carry. Rivals like the Sonos Roam 2 (1 pound) and Sony ULT Field (1.4 pounds) are lighter to carry.
Many people forget the great benefits presented on older Pill models. Gone are the auxiliary input and output ports for connecting the speaker to wired playback sources (like your old iPod or a games console). Tap-to-pair NFC is another one that’s MIA. Other notable omissions include a power adapter and a hard carrying case.
Alex Bracetti/CNN highlighted
The Beats Pill (2024) is a triumphant return that improves on almost every feature of the series. An updated look combined with expanded features, longer battery life, refined sound, and enhanced protection earn it a place among the best portable Bluetooth speakers.
I don’t like the accessories and missing features, but it’s trivial in the grand scheme of things. Significantly improved performance plus an introductory price $50 lower than its predecessor gives the new Beats Pill a universal style that few competitors can match.