Beats Pill test: much easier to swallow this time

Beats has been absent from the speaker game for a long time. Its latest speaker, the Pill Plus, was discontinued in 2022 after being introduced years earlier. Since then, Beats’ parent company Apple has focused on home speakers like the HomePod and HomePod Mini, ceding the wearable market to brands like Bose, Sony, JBL, Anker and more . But now, after a not-at-all-subtle celebrity teaser campaign, the Beats Pill is making a comeback.

The 2024 redesign, on sale today for $149.99, has a familiar design. But inside everything changed and I was pleasantly surprised by everything the new pill is capable of. At its core, you get a mono Bluetooth speaker. And while there are always sound quality compromises in this compact size – it’s just physics – it’s the extras and bonus features that really help the refreshed Beats Pill stand out from previous models .

This time around, the Pill supports lossless audio playback via USB-C. You can use that same USB-C port to charge external devices, a convenience also offered by many competitors. There is a removable strap that makes the pill easy to carry, and the device is IP67 rated for dust and water resistance. Battery life has doubled to a maximum of 24 hours and Beats still includes speakerphone functionality.

Like all of the brand’s recent headsets and earphones, the Pill is designed to natively support Android and iOS: on both platforms, you can enjoy one-click setup and Find My/Find My Device. There are no hands-free “Hey Siri” voice commands and don’t expect AirPlay integration, but Beats checked off virtually every other feature I could ask for. As a result, the pill appears to be the most targeted product in a long time.

The Pill comes in three colors – red, black or gold – with a metal grille and silicone wrapped around the rest of the speaker for added durability. The top controls are well laid out, with a power button on the left side, a center button for track controls and volume on the right. All the buttons are easy to feel even when you’re not looking at the pill, and they have a very satisfying click. Inside the case are a redesigned woofer and tweeter.

Beats marketing materials claim that the racetrack-style woofer is capable of 90 percent greater air volume displacement and stronger motor force than the Pill Plus and that low-frequency distortion has been reduced. The woofer and tweeter have a 20% upward tilt that allows sound to reach your ears more naturally when the Pill is placed on a desk or table. Although the Pill can’t produce stereo like the Pill Plus could, the actual components have improved. If you want true stereo playback, you can wirelessly link two Pills together. (Two can also be paired in standard mono listening mode if you want to use them in different rooms at a party.)

People generally use speakers like this for very casual, non-judgmental listening, whether at home, traveling, or for weekends at the beach. And in the majority of these scenarios, the Beats Pill sounds perfectly fine. Not every track handles the mono mix gracefully, so sometimes you’ll land on a song that leaves you wanting more. It’s just not as immersive. But mono is the standard among many speakers this size. For the most part, I was pleased with the Pill’s sonic performance. It’s clear, can spin pretty hard, and is well tuned for today’s chart highs.

If you want the best audio fidelity this speaker can offer, there is always the option to plug it in via USB-C. I like having the choice, even if it may seem excessive for this class of speakers. Every time a USB-C cable is plugged in, the Pill determines whether it should receive a charge from that device (like a laptop) or feed it juice instead (if it’s your phone). You can manually decide which direction charging takes place by pressing the power button three times. A double press of the button activates the chosen voice assistant on your phone, so you can access Siri or Google Assistant; it’s just not hands-free like on a HomePod or Nest Audio. I was pleased with the speaker functionality of the Pill. Beats’ noise-canceling algorithm did an impressive job of isolating my voice from background noise during calls.

There’s really not much to hate about the remastered Beats Pill if you can get past its mono output – and I think many people will have no trouble doing so. It performs well and can withstand whatever outdoor adventures you take it for. The battery lasts a long time, and you get plenty of bonus features beyond Bluetooth playback. If Beats charged more than the $150 asking price, I’d probably be less enthusiastic about recommending it. But as it stands, it feels like there’s virtually no Apple/Beats tax at play here. The pill is more than competitive for what you pay.

Photography by Chris Welch/The Verge