Beats returns to the audio market with its iconic wireless speaker. After letting basketball player LeBron James unveil it, the specialist in wireless headphones and earphones is launching the Beats Pill.
It’s been nine years since Beats seemed to have abandoned the portable speaker market. Initiated in 2012 with the Beats Pill, the establishment of the American brand had borne fruit and, in 2015, after the acquisition by Apple the previous year, everything was accentuated with the arrival of a large model format, the Pills+. But since then, the American specialist has focused more on wireless earphones and headsets.
Seen in recent weeks in the hand of basketball player LeBron James, footballer Lionel Messi or even in the possession of Kim Kardashian, the Beats Pill has been official since Tuesday June 25. Beats by Dre had mentioned its arrival in a trailer featuring characters with the face of the small speaker in the shape of a pill.
Improved sound architecture and design
The Beats Pill therefore arrives in three colors (red, champagne and black), in a format reminiscent of the original portable speaker, with its carrying strap and its non-slip silicone coating. But it has been revised from top to bottom, explains Beats by Dre. Its acoustic architecture has been redesigned to include only a larger woofer for bass and a tweeter next to it for treble. This should offer “53% more powerful sound than the Pill+ and more precise”, with more bass as well.
The new architecture was also instituted to reduce distortion in all situations. The slightly more curved design of the speaker (20°) provides much better overall acoustics by projecting the sound upwards and thus avoiding objects that could obstruct its diffusion. Connected via USB-C to a computer or any other compatible device, the speaker can broadcast sound using Apple’s lossless technology.
24 hours of continuous playback
The Beats Pill is designed for indoor and outdoor use and will therefore be dust and water resistant (IP 67). Beats also managed to reduce the weight by 10% to make the Pill easier to take anywhere. It promises up to 24 hours of continuous playback, fast charging (2 hours of listening time recovered in 10 minutes of charging) and the ability to also charge other devices via cable. By combining a second Pill speaker, they can be operated in stereo or amplification mode.
The Beats Pill works under iOS, but also Android. It also pairs just as easily with either via Bluetooth 5.3, and it can be located with the Locate function from both Apple and Google. In addition to its touch controls, the device also benefits from voice control with compatible assistants (Siri, Google, etc.). It also allows you to take hands-free calls in good conditions with the ability to favor the sound of the voice and to attenuate surrounding noise for your interlocutor.
Price and availability of the Beats Pill
The Beats Pill speaker will be offered in black, red and champagne at a price of 169.95 euros. Pre-orders will begin on August 6 on apple.com for delivery from August 8.
