It’s been almost a decade since Apple launched the Beats Pill Plus, and while it was on the market for about five years it was discontinued in 2022. In recent months though, we've seen leaks for a new Beats Bluetooth speaker, including celebrities showing it off in the wild.
So, while we've had an idea of what it would look like, we didn't know what kind of hardware it would feature – until recently. 9To5Mac spoke to sources close to the matter and published a wealth of information about the 2024 Beats Pill. Everything from the specs inside to our first good look at the device on its own – aka not in the hands of a race car driver.
According to the leak, the upcoming model will look pretty similar to the 2015 Pill Plus speaker but with a few changes. It’s bigger than before, now measuring 8.6 x 2.8 x 2.8 inches (218 x 71 x 71 mm), but despite the extra bulk, the new Beats Pill will actually be lighter at 1.5 pounds (680 grams).
One thing you’ll notice is the buttons on the top don’t pop out, but are now recessed into the speaker. The inputs are the same and in the same spots: volume on the right with power on the left.
Sonic upgrade
For charging, USB-A is out, and a more modern USB-C port is in. The speaker will also support Bluetooth 5.3 and come with a lanyard for easy carrying.
Regarding audio, 9To5Mac’s sources “promise” the 2024 Beats Pill is a sonic upgrade to the previous generation. Apple and the team at Beats are apparently equipping the speaker with “a reengineered racetrack woofer” capable of driving out “28 percent more motor force [and] displacing 90 percent more air volume”. This means the bass coming out of the Beats Pill will sound a lot better.
The accompanying tweeters have also been "redesigned " but the specifics here are still unknown. All that’s said about the tweeter is it sits inside “secured housing for added stability.” One change, though, is that the audio outputs are said to sit at a 20-degree pointing up to ensure sound isn’t blocked by objects.
New features
The new Pill supposedly delivers up to 24 hours on a single charge, which 9to5Mac notes is doubled over the last model. The device is rumored to be tougher overall, sporting an IP67 resistance rating to survive blasts of dust and brief submersion underwater. Most notably, the speaker is compatible with iOS and Android smartphones, much like Beats' latest earbuds and headphones. It even supports Apple’s Find My and Google’s Find My Device networks, so you can find the 2024 Beats Pill if it gets lost.
Pricing and the launch date for the Beats Pill are both still unknown, but the previous Pill Plus cost $250 back in 2015, so we'd expect a similar price range. Images included in the report show the new Pill in three different colors: black, red, and gold.
While we have you, check out TechRadar's list of the best Bluetooth speakers for 2024.
