Beats Pill (2012) vs JBL Charge 3

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

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Pill (2012) compared with Charge 3

	BeatsPill (2012)	JBLCharge 3
Overview
Released
Released	October 2012	2016
Sound
Type
Type	Portable speaker	Portable speaker
Channels
Channels	–	stereo
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos	No	No
Drivers
Drivers	Four-speaker system with Beats Audio processing	Two 50 mm drivers and two external passive radiators
Amplifiers
Amplifiers	–	2 × 10 W
Frequency response
Frequency response	–	65 Hz – 20 kHz; signal-to-noise ratio over 80 dB
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 4.1; A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.5, HFP 1.6 and HSP 1.2; up to three phones or tablets can connect and take turns
Ports
Ports	Separate 3.5 mm input and line output; Micro-USB charging connector (T3)	Micro-USB charging, USB power-bank output (5 V / 2 A) and 3.5 mm audio input (port types from SoundGuys)
Multi-room
Multi-room	–	JBL Connect at launch; the maker offers a firmware upgrade to Connect+, after which it cannot link with original Connect speakers
App
App	–	A later firmware update enables Siri or Google Now through a connected phone, rather than a built-in assistant
Design
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	Up to 7 hours	Up to 20 hours
Water and dust resistance
Water and dust resistance	–	IPX7
Weight
Weight	0.325 kg (better)	0.8 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 20 hours depending on volume and content; 6,000 mAh / 22.2 Wh lithium-ion polymer battery; 4.5 hours to charge; included 5 V / 2.3 A adaptor. The final specification sheet supersedes the CES announcement's 15-hour claim.
Controls
Controls	Power, volume and Beats button for pairing, playback and calls; volume buttons disabled when line output is in use	–
Microphones
Microphones	Built-in speakerphone microphone with echo cancellation; calls pause music	Noise- and echo-cancelling speakerphone
Size
Size	–	213 × 88.5 × 87 mm (W × H × D); 800 g, from the maker's specification sheet rather than SoundGuys' conflicting table
Colours
Colours	Black, White and Red at launch	–
In the box
In the box	Speaker, USB cable and power supply; carrying case, carabiner and 3.5 mm cable identified by both reviews	Charge 3, 5 V / 2.3 A USB adaptor, micro-USB cable, quick start guide, safety sheet and warranty card