Beats, now a division of Apple since July of 2014, has unveiled its new speaker: the Beats Pill+ .
It is the company’s first speaker since being acquired by Apple and it looks different compared to its predecessor.
The Beats Pill+ has improved on the design of its predecessor (which, quite frankly, looked like crap), making it a more refined – and better – version of the previous speakers the company released years ago. The pill-shaped, hot dog bun-sized speaker is the most attractive one the company has ever released, which is no surprise given that it’s now a part of Apple.
The Beats Pill+ retains most of the features its predecessor has, including having four speakers, its signature pill shape, and a pair of tweeters. Its additions and changes include a pair of new woofers for adding a little bit of bass, relocation of the buttons from the back to the top, and it being noticeably wider. The speaker also has amplifiers for each pair of woofer and tweeter, giving it better sound quality.
In terms of appearance, the Beats Pill+ looks like something directly manufactured by the Cupertino-based company. It is available in two contrasting color themes, black and white. The buttons consist of the power button on the left, the pause/play button on the center, and the pair of + – volume adjustments on the right. Placing the buttons on top of the speaker makes it relatively easier to operate compared to its predecessor.
There are also five next to the power button which indicate battery life – which Beats says lasts 12 hours. In charging, it uses Apple’s Lightning connectors, similar to the ones being used in the newer iPhone and iPad models. It connects via Bluetooth and has a range of 300 feet.
The new Beats speaker is slated to come out next month and is priced at $230. Along with its release, a Pill+ app is set to be released in iOS and Android, enabling users to control it remotely.
