Beats Pill (2012) vs Beats Pill (2024)

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Pill (2012) compared with Pill (2024)

	BeatsPill (2012)	BeatsPill (2024)
Overview
Released
Released	October 2012	June 2024
Sound
Type
Type	Portable speaker	Portable speaker
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos	No	No
Drivers
Drivers	Four-speaker system with Beats Audio processing	Racetrack woofer and tweeter, with a 20-degree upward tilt
Audio formats
Audio formats	–	Lossless audio over USB-C from compatible devices and apps
Connections
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	No	No
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	Yes	Yes
AirPlay
AirPlay	No	No
Voice assistants
Voice assistants	None	None
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	NFC tap-to-pair and connection takeover; remembers eight paired devices and reconnects to the most recent; aptX support	Class 1 Bluetooth
Ports
Ports	Separate 3.5 mm input and line output; Micro-USB charging connector (T3)	USB-C for charging, audio input and charging a phone; no 3.5 mm input (SoundGuys)
Multi-room
Multi-room	–	Two Pill speakers can play the same audio in Amplify Mode or separate left and right channels in Stereo Mode
App
App	–	One-touch pairing, Apple Find My and Google Find My Device; Beats app on Android and controls in iOS settings (SoundGuys)
Design
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	Up to 7 hours	Up to 24 hours
Water and dust resistance
Water and dust resistance	–	IP67
Weight
Weight	0.325 kg (better)	0.68 kg
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Rechargeable lithium-ion battery; maker claims seven hours at an average 80 dB, with a warning at 20% remaining; switches off after 30 minutes without a signal	Up to 24 hours; 10-minute Fast Fuel charge gives up to 2 hours. Apple's test used 256 kbps AAC music at 50% volume
Controls
Controls	Power, volume and Beats button for pairing, playback and calls; volume buttons disabled when line output is in use	Music and call button, volume buttons and system button for power, pairing and a connected phone's voice assistant
Microphones
Microphones	Built-in speakerphone microphone with echo cancellation; calls pause music	Built-in speakerphone microphone; voice assistant runs on the paired phone
Mounting
Mounting	–	Removable lanyard and soft-grip silicone backing
Size
Size	–	219 × 71 × 70 mm (length × width × height)
Colours
Colours	Black, White and Red at launch	Matte Black, Statement Red and Champagne Gold
In the box
In the box	Speaker, USB cable and power supply; carrying case, carabiner and 3.5 mm cable identified by both reviews	Pill, removable lanyard, USB-C cable, quick start guide and warranty card; power adaptor sold separately