Beats Pill (2012) vs Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)

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Pill (2012) compared with SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)

	BeatsPill (2012)	BoseSoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
Overview
Released
Released	October 2012	September 2024
Sound
Type
Type	Portable speaker	Portable speaker
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos	No	No
Room tuning
Room tuning	–	PositionIQ senses the speaker's orientation and adjusts the sound; adjustable EQ in the Bose app
Drivers
Drivers	Four-speaker system with Beats Audio processing	–
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	Bluetooth 5.3 with a 9 m range; multipoint connection to two devices; aptX Adaptive with Snapdragon Sound devices
Ports
Ports	Separate 3.5 mm input and line output; Micro-USB charging connector (T3)	USB-C (charging)
Streaming
Streaming	–	Bluetooth; the shortcut button can start Spotify Tap
Multi-room
Multi-room	–	Stereo Mode with a second Flex (2nd Gen), or Party Mode with another current SoundLink speaker (Micro 2nd Gen, Plus or Max); SimpleSync with Bose smart soundbars and speakers
App
App	–	Bose app
Design
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	Up to 7 hours	Up to 12 hours
Water and dust resistance
Water and dust resistance	–	IP67
Weight
Weight	0.325 kg (better)	0.59 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 12 hours; up to 3 hours at maximum volume; up to 4 hours to charge; no power adapter included
Controls
Controls	Power, volume and Beats button for pairing, playback and calls; volume buttons disabled when line output is in use	Buttons on top, including a programmable shortcut button (linking two speakers by default; Spotify Tap or the phone's voice assistant)
Microphones
Microphones	Built-in speakerphone microphone with echo cancellation; calls pause music	Built-in microphone for speakerphone calls
Mounting
Mounting	–	Nylon utility loop for carrying or clipping to a bag
Size
Size	–	2.06 × 7.93 × 3.56 in (H × W × D); 1.291 lb
Colours
Colours	Black, White and Red at launch	Black, Blue Dusk, Alpine Sage and Sandstone, plus limited editions; Bose UK currently sells Dewdrop Mint
In the box
In the box	Speaker, USB cable and power supply; carrying case, carabiner and 3.5 mm cable identified by both reviews	SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen), USB-C to USB-A cable, safety sheet