The first Beats Pill wireless speaker was released in 2012, and in 2013 the updated Beats Pill 2.0 was issued, including the Pill XL.

In 2014 Apple bought Beats off Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine and within less than a year it had been forced to recall the Beats Pill XL, as some of the batteries within the devices overheated and ignited a fire.

And that, it seemed, was that for the Beats Pill.

Midway through 2024, however, Apple announced the capsule-shaped speaker was returning, and now the company has unveiled another collaboration with mogul and showbizzer Kim Kardashian.

While the new Beats Pill comes in Matte Black, Statement Red and Champagne Gold, Kardashian’s input appears to be limited to choosing two new colours: Light Grey and Dark Grey.

To be frank, they’ve got nothing on the Statement Red speaker, which says “I’m here, let’s party”.  

 

Beats Pill (Red Statement).

 

The KK speaker follows previous collaborations on Beats Fit Pro and Beats Studio Pro. These items came in Kardashian’s “signature” colours: Moon, Dune and Earth. 

Apple promises the new Beats Pill (KK and non-KK) has upgraded acoustic architecture that “delivers more powerful, room-filling sound, bigger bass and improved tonality across the audio spectrum”.

The racetrack woofer has been re-engineered with what Apple says are stronger neodymium magnets, which leads to 28 per cent more motor force and displaces 90 per cent more air volume. It says the design structure minimises lowend distortion, even when the volume is cranked.

Beats Pill Light Grey -Kim Kardashian model.

 

“The redesigned tweeter is secured in its own housing to provide extra stability for crisp highs and rich mid-range tones,” Apple says.

The Beats Pill has a 20-degree upward tilt to direct audio towards your head.

With up to 24 hours of battery life, Beats Pill can be used to charge your phone and other devices via USB-C cable.

It is IP67 rated for dust and water resistance, and comes with a removable lanyard and soft-grip silicone backing.

Beats Pill Light Grey – Kim Kardashian model.

 

The speaker has dual compatibility for iOS and Android to enable one-touch Bluetooth pairing, automatic pairing across your other devices, and Find My Device.

It can receive calls and activate voice assistants, and you can sync two Beats Pill speakers in Amplify or Stereo mode.

Beats Pill Dark Grey -Kim Kardashian model.

 

In the box are the speaker, removable carrying lanyard and USB-C to USB-C cable for charging and audio.

The speaker goes on sale on Saturday (October 19) for $249.95 at JB Hi-Fi, apple.com and Apple Store Sydney (367 George Street, CBD.)