[Review] Beats Pill Wireless Speaker
The Beats Pill Wireless Speaker is a wireless Bluetooth speaker that is shaped like a large pill, hence the name Beats ‘Pill’. It is very portable, lightweight and you can turn up the volume to very loud without distortion, but this also depends heavily on your music file as well. It has a built-in microphone, and you can pair it up with your smartphone using NFC as well. Therefore, once paired, you can take calls without even touching your phone!
Unboxing the Beats Pill
Upon unboxing the Beats Pill, what I noticed immediately is how well it is packaged! The design of the box alone is enough to entice you to buy this bad boy, despite its steep price (more on this later)! The box came with an “outer shell” holding the actual box, and all I had to do was to slide it out. Then opening the box was like opening a huge book cover. It slid open from right to left! Once open, you would be able to see the Beats Pill case. And inside that case would be the Beats Pill.
The Beats Pill also came with the Beats Pill case (as mentioned before), a 3.5mm to 3.5mm male-to-male aux cable, a micro-USB adapter,a USB AC adapter, and last but definitely not least, a carabiner which allows you to hook it on to say.. backpacks! Convenient huh?
How it works
The Beats Pill Wireless Speaker can be connected to in several different ways to play your audio wirelessly, or even wired. You can connect it wirelessly using Bluetooth, or Tap-to-pair using NFC technology. The tap-to-pair way can only be used if your smartphone or device supports NFC.
To pair your device using Bluetooth, switch on your Bluetooth on your device, then hold down the Beats button on the Beats Pill for 3 seconds. The Bluetooth light on the back of the Beats Pill should start flashing and you should be able to scan for the Beats Pill on your device. Pair with it, then play any sound, to your heart’s content! You can control the volume directly on the Beats Pill, or you can control it separately, on your device.
If you have a less-modern MP3 player or device that doesn’t support Bluetooth or NFC, but it has a 3.5mm headphone jack, you can use the included aux cable to plug it in to the Beats Pill the old-fashion way. I really like how the Beats Pill can be connected via a range of ways, as it doesn’t only restrict those with top-notch devices to be able to use such a quality speaker!
Just so you know, the Beats Pill also has an ‘audio out’ port so you can transfer whatever is playing on the Beats Pill to another stereo system! I think this is for those that have a home theatre system, but is not capable of playing things wirelessly i.e Bluetooth, so the Beats Pill would act, essentially like wireless receiver.
Features
I did mention before that the Beats Pill has a microphone built-in. What does this mean? This means that you will be able to walk around holding a pill in your hand, and then also talk to the pill! How interesting is that?! But in all seriousness, the microphone is there if you want to use the Beats Pill as a speakerphone. It does not work with other applications like Skype, or the Voice recorder.
The Beats Pill only supports Bluetooth 2.1, with HFP (Hands-free Profile) and A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) with SBC, and the aptX and AAC codec.
Also included in the features’ list is the auto-off ability. This means that if there is no audio being streamed to the Beats Pill, the device will automatically shut off, resulting in saved battery power!
Durability and Performance
The Beats Pill is a very solid device! It is made from tough metal, and the grille is very hard and stable, meaning it isn’t likely to break very easily on impact. It is also nice and smooth with no jagged edges (because it’s round), and it is also a pleasing aesthetic device to look at as well!
The Beats Pill is essentially four mini speakers in one! That is why this is definitely a great speaker for those party times, where you want the sound to be loud, bass to be deep, all without distortion! As I said before, this also depends heavily on your music file that you are trying to play.
Battery Life
The recommended battery life of this bad boy is around 7 hours of continuous playtime. I got through around 5 and a half hours at moderate volume, connected via Bluetooth to my smartphone. It really isn’t that bad, the battery life, and I didn’t just sit there listening to music for 5 and a half hours because I wouldn’t be able to!
And when the battery is at 20% remaining, the light at the back (covering the micro-USB port), will start flashing, telling you that it needs to be charged. Once plugged in, the red glow stays on when charging, and once the battery is full, the red glow will change to green.
Pricing and Availability
The price is a bit steep, coming in at $359 New Zealand Dollars, but if you really want to get it, they come in three colours: Red, White and Black and the stores that currently stock them as of writing are: Harvey Norman, JB HiFi, DickSmith and the Apple Store online.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Beats Pill Wireless Speaker is one of the nicest looking speakers in town! Not to mention the superb sound quality, even at a high volume. Bundled with a range of accessories that not only go well with the speaker but also looks aesthetically appealing! Even the box look good! The Beats Pill Wireless Speaker would be great for audiophiles, and for those wanting to use them at a house-party for instance! The only negative about the Beats Pill is just the steep price and that is why we are going to give one red Beats Pill Wireless Speaker away to one lucky reader! Read the following for more information!
For more information on the Beats Pill Wireless Speaker, please visit: http://www.beatsbydre.com/speakers/pill/900-00054-01.html
In Addition…
We will be giving away one red Beats Pill Wireless Speaker to one lucky reader. To enter (and to read the Terms and Conditions), please visit: http://nztechblog.net/2013/09/01/giveaway-the-amazing-beats-pill-wireless-speaker/
Competition starts on the 1st of September 2013 at 11:59PM and will run through to the 20th of September 2013 at 11:59PM NZT. Good Luck!
