Key Takeaways
- The 2024 Beats Pill boasts crystal clear audio with deep bass and seamless Apple integration for easy pairing.
- With a 24-hour battery life and IP67 rating, the Beats Pill is portable, powerful, and durable for all-day use.
- Despite its heavy and bulky design, the Beats Pill’s impressive sound quality and advanced features make it worth the investment.
In 2013, Beats by Dr. Dre released its iconic cylindrical, portable speaker — the Beats Pill. And in 2022, it was a difficult pill to swallow when Apple discontinued the speaker. Now, eleven years later, the Beats Pill has returned from its hiatus, boasting new features, a longer battery life, native Apple ecosystem compatibility, and a durable IP67 rating.
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For me, the Beats Pill (Apple’s 2024 Version) couldn’t have arrived at a better time. I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect summer speaker that can transform my home office into the ideal Era Tour solo karaoke space and my tiny picnic blanket into a private party for a simultaneous sunbathe and work session. Not only has the Beats Pill met my high expectations, but after a week with a gnarly stomach bug, I can say my anti-nausea meds aren’t the only Pill keeping me in good spirits.
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Beats Pill (2024)
The Beats Pill makes quite the comeback in 2024 with a sweet spec suite, crystal clear sound, and a premium design. It’s portable, yet powerful and the bass heavy yet smooth. Ultimately, this Beats Pill was worth the wait.
- Crystal clear sound
- Bass hits low frequencies with both depth and clarity
- Seamless Apple integration
- Super impressive battery life
- Heavy, bulky design
- Removable carry lanyard isn’t practical
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Price, specs, and availability
Retailing at $150 and available now, the 2024 Beats Pill sits just above the JBL Flip 6’s $130 tag and slightly below Sonos’ recent portable speaker encore — the Roam 2. It comes in three classic colorways — Matte Black, Statement Red and Champagne Gold. My Champagne Gold review device had just enough hue and shine to give it a luxe, modern look, but it wasn’t obnoxiously gold with a bright yellow undertone. It blended in nicely with my light-colored home decor without distracting or looking like a techy eyesore.
While the Beats Pill supports both iOS and Android, it seamlessly integrates with the iPhone’s native interface, making for extra easy pairing and controls. I even set up Siri for hands-free control when I’m belting I Can Do It With A Broken Heart in the shower and want to give my adoring shampoo bottle audience an encore. Android users can do the same with Google Assistant.
Given all these features, I was impressed that the advertised 24-hour battery life was pretty accurate. I listened to music at my desk from 9am-5pm for two days (16 hours) and still had a 40% charge when I powered it on for my Central Park picnic on Saturday. Plus, with an IP67 rating, I wasn’t worried about bringing it around the park pond or to the pool.
Ultimately, the Beats Pill came back with specs for days, building on the portable speaker’s legacy with advanced asides that only strengthen its comeback.
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What I liked about the 2024 Beats Pill
Seamless Apple integration
Admittedly, I haven’t used a Beats product since the company has been under Apple’s larger umbrella, so I was pleasantly surprised at the interface integration. Not only was pairing the Pill simple by holding down the power button and hearing a satisfying “bloop” pairing noise, but the speaker’s battery life and volume showed up on my iPhone 15 Dynamic Island, making for easy access.
In true Apple fashion, the speaker is fashionable yet durable. It’s not overly flashy, but it still looks premium — and I was definitely excited to show it off as I set up my office outside in Madison Square Park.
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Crystal clear audio
To be completely transparent, I didn’t have super high expectations for the new Pill. I listened to the 2018 version recently, and it sounded fine. However, even my favorite songs were a bit warm and resonated too much for my liking at lower and higher frequencies, plus the bass felt thin rather than full.
But with its 2024 version, Beats re-engineered the Pill’s racetrack woofer with stronger neodymium magnets, and it made all the difference. From the moment I played Cruel Summer, the synthy bass notes and the intro vocoder-manipulated vocals were punchy and crisp, filling my room with booming sound. I had to turn it down — and it was only at 60% volume. When Taylor Swift’s vocals started, every lyric was clear without being choppy. And that bridge, let’s just say aside from attending the Eras tour itself, I don’t think any other medium can now do that bridge justice other than the Beats Pill.
What impressed me the most is, even at the lower, really bassy frequencies, there was very little to no resonance. I never had that “underwater” feeling when low downbeats come in on songs like Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy or high notes like the epic end of Chappelle Roan’s Red Wine Supernova bridge. Ultimately, the speaker’s crispness was similar to a camera that honors bright pops of color, producing sharp images regardless of the lighting. It’s consistently clear and full no matter what song or audio I play. And with reverse charging, I can even listen to lossless audio when the Pill is plugged in (via USB-C) to my laptop, which brings crisp, full audio to a whole new level.
Even as I sat in the park, I didn’t want to be that obnoxious person who thinks that everyone will enjoy their music taste, so I only had the volume at 25% and could still hear everything clearly, experience full bass, and the mids weren’t lost at all.
Aside from music, I also used the Pill for conference calls from my MacBook, thanks to multi-point connectivity, as well as for FaceTime and phone calls. The audio was clear and full on both ends, and made it feel like my mom was in the room with me rather than miles away in Texas. That said, it was also nice listening to podcasts on the Pill as I could do the dishes, make my bed, and fold laundry without taking my phone around with me. Plus, my favorite podcasters sounded more detailed and lively.
Speaking of lively, it was also fantastic when streaming Love Island UK from my laptop — making the British slang even more punchy and fun.
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What I didn’t like about the 2024 Beats Pill
A hard pill to carry
One of the main benefits of a portable speaker is that it’s, well, portable. The Pill, despite its pocketable name, unfortunately weighed down my bag quite a bit, and the attached lanyard isn’t practical as the speaker is just too heavy and digs into my wrist. In general, the speaker is a bit chunky — looking almost like a mini soundbar.
Plus, when I didn’t place it firmly on it’s base, I watched it slowly roll off my table and hit the floor with a loud thud. Luckily, it’s durable and in great condition, but it’s not an ultra lightweight option that I can see myself effortlessly toting this summer.
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Verdict: Should you buy the 2024 Beats Pill?
A crystal clear comeback, but a pill to carry
The Beats Pill not only made a comeback, but did so triumphantly. With plenty of features to enhance listening, some of the best audio I’ve ever heard from a portable speaker, and battery life for days, it’s the perfect party starter. While its design is luxe, and it keeps the original Pill shape, it’s a heavy pill to tote around, but not impossible. And even with the chunkier form factor, I still think this will be my speaker of the summer.
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Beats Pill (2024)
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