Apple revives Beats Pill speaker with incredible 24-hour battery life – plus tempting charging perk for iPhone fans
APPLE has resurrected the iconic Beats Pill and boasts that sounds “better than ever” – with a battery life that lasts all day.
The iPhone maker bought up Beats in 2014 and still sells its headphones, but killed the Pill portable speaker just over two years ago.
Now the Pill is back with a bang, and is available to order right now.
It still boasts roughly the same iconic design, but packs in a few big improvements.
And Apple is promising that Beats will deliver “room-filling sound” and “bigger bass”.
“The Beats Pill is back and better than ever – now packed with outstanding sound, all-day, battery life, and convenient features,” said Apple’s Oliver Schusser, who heads up Beats.
“From the beloved Pill characters to cameos in the world’s most-watched music videos, the original Beats Pill was a pop culture phenom and we’re thrilled to bring back a fan favorite updated with the latest features in an iconic design.”
The first Beats Pill came out all the way back in 2012.
Then in 2015, Apple introduced a slightly larger version of the product called the Beats Pill+.
But in January 2022, the product was discontinued – with no word on a new model.
Now Apple has revamped and revived it, so here’s what you need to know…
LOOKING GOOD
The new version of the Beats Pill is instantly recognisable.
It’s now available in three colours: Matte Black, Statement Red, and Champagne Gold.
The product is 10% lighter than the one that came before, and boasts a removable carry lanyard.
It’s also IP67-rated for dust and water resistance, so it’s perfect for using by the poolside (but it’s best to avoid dunking it…).
IP67 means it survived for 30 minutes at a depth of three feet, making it water-resistant – but not strictly waterproof.
It also has a 20-degree upward tilt, which Apple says improves projection by minimizing reflected sound.
SOUNDS GREAT?
On the audio quality, Apple has made a number of improvements.
The woofer has been reengineered with stronger neodymium magnets to drive more motor force (by 28%, Beats claims) and displace 90% more air volume.
It promises reduced low-end distortion at high volumes, as well as crisp highs from the tweeter.
The Pill has a built-in microphone too so you can use it as a speakerphone for phone calls.
LIVING IT UP
One of the big perks this time around is the battery life: a promised 24 hours of continuous playback.
You’ll also be able to get two hours of music from 10 minutes of charge – a feature Beats is calling Fast Fuel.
The Pill can be used to charge your phone using a USB-C cable.
You can connect to iOS (i.e. your iPhone) and Android devices with “one-touch pairing”.
And it’ll appear inside Find My so you can track it down if you lose it.
Also, if you have two Pill speakers then you can pair them for Stereo Mode.
The Pill is available to order today, with shipping from Thursday, June 27.
It’ll set you back £149.99 no matter which colour you pick.