Beats Pill review: Icon returns, now surprisingly affordable

The Bluetooth speaker that made portable sound accessible to the masses is back with the reissue of the Beats Pill. This time, there’s more than just celebrity marketing behind the device: it offers thoughtful features, surprising sound and an affordable price (AU$249).

This has quickly become one of my favorite portable speakers, and although it uses a mono sound profile for packaging reasons, it sounds great for its size (21.9cm x 7.1cm x 7.0cm) and offers unmatched connectivity for iPhone and Android phones, including lossless audio playback over USB-C and up to 24 hours of battery life.

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While the other portable Bluetooth speakers on the market offer full support for Android and Apple devices, the Beats Pill offers unmatched connectivity for iPhone users with a host of native Apple features, including:

• With “Find My” you can locate your Beats Pill on a map
• One-touch pairing, iCloud pairing and Apple Watch pairing
• Customization of product names and buttons
• Automatic wireless software updates

If you’re an iPhone user and choosing between the numerous options on the market, this native connectivity will probably convince you to buy. You won’t find hands-free “Hey Siri” voice commands or AirPlay integration, but this is the closest thing to an Apple-branded portable speaker.

The dimensions of the device are 21.9cm x 7.1cm x 7.0cm, making it very portable and similar in size to rivals such as the Sonos Roam (AU$289), Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth speaker (AU$249), Marshall Emberton II Bluetooth speaker (AU$289), Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 (AU$329) and Sony SRS-XE300 X-Series (AU$299).

It also weighs 681 grams, making it about the same weight as an iPad Air and 10% lighter than Pill+. The shape is a bit bulky, but it’s portable enough to take to parties on the weekend, especially with the detachable lanyard attached to the device.

The silicone outer layer also adds to its durability, and although I’ve never had the need to use a portable speaker near a pool, it’s dust and waterproof with an IP67 rating.

The controls are located on the top of the pill. They are easy to use and include the following features:

• Power switch:
  • Power on/off: Press once
  • Pairing: Press and hold
  • Voice assistant: double tap
  • Battery status: Tap once
  • USB-C Audio: Press and hold while connecting device via USB-C
  • Reverse Charge On/Off: Triple tap
• Middle button:
  • Play/Pause: Press once
  • Jump forward: Press twice
  • Skip backwards: Press three times
  • Boost mode: Press and hold both Pill speakers
  • Stereo mode: Hold center button + Volume up
  • Pause group: Amplify/Stereo: Hold center button + decrease volume
• Volume control:

Once you figure out which side of the device the buttons are on, it’s easy to use. The middle button has a small nub and the volume buttons are next to each other. In an emergency, you can control most functions using the Beats by Dre app on your phone.

Sonically, the “racetrack” woofer and tweeter combo can displace 90% more air volume than the dual-woofer system in the previous Pill+. However, that won’t blow you away when you compare it to other dedicated speakers like the Apple HomePods (2nd generation) or larger-format Bluetooth speakers like the Ultimate Ears Hyperboom (AU$599). However, this is a portable Bluetooth speaker and it has a few tricks up its sleeve to maximize sound.

For one, you can put the Beats Pill into Amplify mode, which lets you pair two Beats Pill speakers together to double the sound experience. This is especially useful if you’re listening in two different rooms. From there, you can also choose Stereo mode, which syncs the speakers together and allows left/right playback. To do this, press and hold the middle buttons on two Pills at the same time.

Of course, you’ll need two Pills for this, which is probably not the biggest investment if you want surround sound; a larger speaker will do a better job for a similar price.

I never thought of using a portable Bluetooth speaker as a phone device, but with the Beats Pill, this option is available. I came across it while testing the sound quality. My better half called me and was surprised by the quality of the call. Upon closer inspection, it turns out that the noise learning algorithm helps with this, allowing both sides to chat happily in full duplex mode and without any ambient noise.

We’ve reached a point where most Bluetooth speakers on the market offer the same features. They sound similar, offer long battery life, are waterproof, dustproof, durable, etc. However, the Beats Pill is the only device we’ve used that connects easily to my iPhone, and for that reason alone, it’s my choice in this price range.

Of course, even if you don’t use an iPhone, the Beats Pill is a great option, but you should shop around and try our top three recommendations: Sonos Roam (AU$289), Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth Speaker (AU$249), Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 (AU$329). Hear for yourself.

You can pick up a new Beats Pill in three colors – matte black, champagne gold, and statement red – for AU$249 from the retailers linked below.

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