Its beefy back and front grille provide plenty of durability, but as I discovered on a recent camping trip, it’s not as drop- or ding-resistant as more rugged options. While playing music on a cabin deck, a friend accidentally knocked the Pill off a 4-foot railing, causing it to bounce down a pair of stairs. Performance wasn’t affected, but the grille did receive some battle scars in the form of double dents along its edges. At home, I attempted a similar stairwell drop test with the JBL Flip 5 and the Ultimate Ears Boom 4, and both emerged virtually unscathed with no noticeable dents.
It’s somewhat ironic that part of what’s put the Pill in such a precarious position is its relative lack of mounting positions compared to its more versatile rivals. It’s certainly robust enough for outdoor adventures; you just have to choose your mounting spot better than I did.
Fully charged
Beats has equipped the new Pill with a full set of features, including some I hadn’t even considered, like a USB-C digital input that lets you connect high-resolution audio like the Beats Studio Pro (7/10, WIRED Recommends). As before, you can pair the speaker with another Pill to “amplify” the sound or spread them out as a stereo pair, which works well but, unsurprisingly, doesn’t compare to similarly priced desktop models. Class 1 Bluetooth provides excellent wireless range (I got up to 40 meters with line of sight before cutbacks), especially handy for those times when you’re walking away from the party with your phone.
Other extras include one-touch pairing and even Find My functionality for iOS or Android devices, a built-in speaker, access to your phone’s voice assistant, and the ability to rotate the USB-C port to output power to charge other devices. You don’t get a 3.5mm input for connecting older audio devices, and there’s no way to EQ the sound, but neither of those are features I regularly turn to in a speaker that’s primarily designed for ambiance.
I do have a few minor points of contention with the Pill’s control system. It’s simple for tasks like play/pause, song skip, volume, and calling, but digging in sometimes demands too much “multi” from the multifunction keys. When I first tried to turn it off, I kept holding down the power key past the required “0.8 seconds,” which put the speaker into pairing mode. You have to use a quick tap to check the battery, or triple-tap to allow the USB-C port to charge other devices. iPhone users have to go through some fuss with the center key to pair two Pills, while Android users can connect them in the Beats app. None of this is a huge deal, but you may need to search online, as some controls aren’t described in the quick guide.
The Pill’s battery life is rated at 100 percent, helping to alleviate those minor control hiccups. With up to 24 hours of playback at half volume, the speaker doubles that of its predecessor and cheaper options like the Flip, and easily beats out the latest UE Boom (15 hours) and the more expensive JBL Charge (20 hours). During testing, I was able to enjoy even more playback time, as I rarely turned the Pill’s volume above 30 percent indoors.
Elegant sound
In true Beats fashion, the Pill takes a calculated, extreme approach to its signature sound. The bass is punchy and thumping, while the highs are snappy and vibrant to deliver a performance that’s as sleek, bright and polished as the speaker itself. At first, I thought it was a bit too sculpted and sleek for my taste, but perhaps due in part to the Apple acquisition, there’s a resigned tactility that keeps things from getting too boomy in the lows or brittle in the highs.
After settling in, I began to really enjoy the Pill’s affected sound for its ability to expose instruments and effects with clarity and power. The high end retains lush detail and impressive sonic depth across all genres, while the full-bodied bass delivers a brazen punch that warms up your favorite tracks for a sweet ride. My wife and I couldn’t help but notice the speaker humming warmly off surfaces like the picnic table at our campsite, adding some vibrancy to our breakfast.
