The first Beats Pill speaker developed after Apple bought the Company is set to be released in Australia priced at over $350, this is 30% more expensive than prior models.
Prior Beats Pill speakers have been average with poor sound output compared to the likes of the Logi UE Boom or JBL speakers.
Since the Beats Pill launched three years ago, Beats Electronics has sold more than 1 million of the little Bluetooth speakers.
Called the Beats Pill + the new speaker has been totally redesigned with Apple designers now having a say in the final designs.
While the Pill+ uses a four-speaker array like the old model, the two tweeters on the outside are angled for a wider sound stage. The two woofers in the centre are built to add a little bass, something the original Pill lacked. The Pill+ retains the speaker’s signature capsule shape, but it’s noticeably wider.
The old Pill had all the controls on its back; on the Pill+, they’re top and centre, which makes turning the speaker on, pairing it to your phone and cranking up the volume much easier.
There are now five little lights next to the power button that serve as a battery-life gauge. Beats says battery life will come in at 12 hours.
When it comes time to charge, the Pill+ uses Apple’s Lightning port and cable, like the latest iPhones and iPads.
In the USA the new speaker which is available in black or white is set to go on sale for $230 or A$328 which when GST is added and additional margins for Australia it makes this a very expensive small speaker, the prior red design will not be available.
There’s also a USB port on the back that lets you siphon power from the Pill+ to recharge an iPhone or iPad.
The Beats Pill+ refills its batteries with a lightning cable.
In DJ mode, two people can control a Pill+ at once, using the Pill+ app available for both iOS and Android. Like the old Pill, two Pill+ models can be paired for stereo sound-one left, one right.
You can also place two Pill+ speakers in two adjacent rooms for multi-room sound (with both playing both audio channels). As a Class 1 Bluetooth device, the speakers can be about 300 feet away from the phone or tablet wirelessly feeding them music, though obviously results will vary.
