Beats Pill review: A revival worth the wait

The Beats Pill excels with improved sound, 24-hour battery life, and rugged build, positioning itself as a strong competitor in the Bluetooth speaker market.

: The Beats Pill re-enters the market with substantial improvements in sound quality, a durable design, and enhanced features like 24-hour battery life and lossless audio over USB-C. Although the audio can suffer at maximum volume and bass tone inconsistency is noted, the overall performance marks a significant upgrade. Priced at $150, it stands strong against competitors like Ultimate Ears and JBL.

The redesigned Beats Pill arrives with remarkable enhancements, notably in sound quality and durability. The new model boasts a doubled battery life of up to 24 hours and includes modern features such as lossless audio over USB-C, setting it up to rival contemporary Bluetooth speakers from prominent brands like JBL and Ultimate Ears.

Internally, Beats overhauled the speaker by discarding the previous dual tweeter and woofer setup in favor of a single, more powerful pill-shaped woofer and an upgraded tweeter housed separately. This change allows the speaker to produce clearer mid-range and treble while the woofer delivers deeper bass with less distortion, although the audio clarity diminishes at higher volumes.

Additional features include IP67-rated water and dust resistance, a loop strap for portability, and easy-to-use physical controls. Beats also introduces lossless audio over USB-C for higher fidelity and retains Amplify and Stereo modes from previous models. Despite minor drawbacks, the overall enhancements in audio performance and build quality make the new Beats Pill a compelling choice at $150.

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