In 2022, Beats discontinued the Pill+, the company's last remaining Bluetooth speaker. Prior to the move, Beats had decent run of smaller, portable speakers, including its original Pill and Pill XL models. Of course, that period wasn't without some headaches and there hadn't been a new model since 2015. Now it's time for a revival. Beats reintroduced its Pill speaker today with a new design that's been re-engineered from the inside out.
The first change you'll likely notice is the 20-degree upward tilt of the new Beats Pill, which the company says gives the unit improved sound projection. Beats is promising "more powerful, room-filling sound, bigger bass and improved tonality" thanks to an updated woofer and tweeter combo that should also minimize distortion. The new Pill is 10 percent lighter than the Pill+ and comes with a removable lanyard for carrying. The speaker is also IP67 rated for dust and water resistance, which should be good enough to protect the device if it accidentally takes a quick dip in the pool.
Similar to previous models, you can sync two Pill speakers together for more robust sound. The company gives you the option of Amplify Mode, which is louder, or Stereo Mode that divides the left and right channels. Beats explains that it improved the speakerphone capabilities of the Pill, mostly thanks to the company's noise-learning algorithm. By combating environmental noise, the company says it can better pick up your voice during calls.
The Pill still has on-device controls for music, volume, pairing and power, and the speaker charges via USB-C. That wired connection can also be used to charge your phone from the speaker's battery or to send lossless audio from a laptop or other device. Beats says you can expect up to 24 hours of battery life, plus there's a Fast Fuel feature that gives you two ours of use in 10 minutes. One-touch pairing is available on iOS and Android and there's compatibility for both Find My and Find My Device when you need it.
The new Beats Pill is available for pre-order today in black, red and gold color options for $150. Beats says it will start shipping the speaker on June 27.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/beats-pill-speakers-are-back-and-have-been-redesigned-from-the-inside-out-140055874.html?src=rss
