What reviewers say
Reviewers praise the portable design, bass output, battery life and iOS and Android convenience. SoundGuys finds recessed mids and distortion at high volume; What Hi-Fi? likes the clear outdoor presentation but finds the sound less expansive and dynamic than JBL's Charge 5. Both note the lack of EQ.
From soundguys.com and whathifi.com
Specifications
Report a wrong or missing specSound
- Type
- Portable speaker
- Dolby Atmos
- No
- Drivers
- Racetrack woofer and tweeter, with a 20-degree upward tilt
- Audio formats
- Lossless audio over USB-C from compatible devices and apps
Connections
- Wi-Fi
- No
- Bluetooth
- Yes
- AirPlay
- No
- Voice assistants
- None
- Bluetooth
- Class 1 Bluetooth
- Ports
- USB-C for charging, audio input and charging a phone; no 3.5 mm input (SoundGuys)
- Multi-room
- Two Pill speakers can play the same audio in Amplify Mode or separate left and right channels in Stereo Mode
- 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)
- Up to 24 hours
- Water and dust resistance
- IP67
- Weight
- 0.68 kg
- Battery life detail
- 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
- Music and call button, volume buttons and system button for power, pairing and a connected phone's voice assistant
- Microphones
- Built-in speakerphone microphone; voice assistant runs on the paired phone
- Mounting
- Removable lanyard and soft-grip silicone backing
- Size
- 219 × 71 × 70 mm (length × width × height)
- Colours
- Matte Black, Statement Red and Champagne Gold
- In the box
- Pill, removable lanyard, USB-C cable, quick start guide and warranty card; power adaptor sold separately
Pros and cons
Pros
- USB-C lossless audio and phone charging
- Up to 24 hours of playback, with a 10-minute charge providing up to 2 hours
- One-touch pairing and device finding on iOS and Android
Cons
- No Wi-Fi or AirPlay
- No EQ adjustment (SoundGuys and What Hi-Fi?)
- USB-C power adaptor sold separately
Closest rivals
Model | Type | Atmos | Connects by | Battery | Weight | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portable speaker | No | Bluetooth | 32 h | 0.67 kg | Aug 2024 | |
| Portable speaker | No | Bluetooth | 12 h | 0.65 kg | Apr 2024 | |
| Portable speaker | No | Bluetooth | 15 h | 0.62 kg | Jun 2024 |
Previous model: Pill+.
Sources
- beatsbydre.com/uk/speakers/beats-pill
- recordoftheday.com/on-the-move/news-press/completely-redesigned-and-reengineere…
- macrumors.com/2024/06/25/beats-pill-bluetooth-speaker-announced
- soundguys.com/beats-pill-review-118936
- whathifi.com/reviews/beats-pill
Photo: beatsbydre.com
