Apple in June announced a new generation of the Beats Pill, a portable Bluetooth speaker under the Beats brand. As my 9to5Mac colleague Chance Miller said in his review here, the new Beats Pill is “better than ever” – and I have to agree. The more I use the new Beats Pill, the more I realize that it’s a better deal than the HomePod mini.
Beats Pill is better than HomePod mini
The first Beats Pill was introduced in 2012, even before Apple acquired Beats. Apple discontinued the accessory in 2022 and never introduced a replacement until now. The new version has a refreshed design and significant improvements, such as more battery and a USB-C port.
I have two Beats Pill here, and to be honest, the new Pill is one of my favorite products of 2024. As I mentioned before, there’s already a full review of the Beats Pill here on 9to5Mac – and it’s worth a read – so I’ll focus on comparing the Beats portable speakers with Apple’s HomePod mini. After all, I’ve seen many people wondering which one they should buy.
First of all, HomePod mini and Beats Pill have different purposes. The HomePod mini, as the name suggests, is a speaker designed to be used at home. It only works when plugged in and requires a Wi-Fi connection to work. Beats Pill, on the other hand, is a portable speaker, which makes it much more versatile when it comes to where or how you use it.
But even if they’re different, I believe that the Beats Pill has many advantages over the HomePod mini, starting with sound quality. The Beats Pill speaker has deeper bass, while the HomePod mini has almost no bass – which makes all the difference when listening to music. The Beats Pill can also get significantly louder than the smaller HomePod.
Here I have both pairs of HomePod mini and Beats Pill, and the Beats Pill pair definitely sounds more immersive. And yes, you can pair two Beats Pill together in stereo mode or for multi-room audio. Again, if you want speakers to listen to music, there’s no question here. Beats Pill is the right choice.
I also like the fact that the Beats Pill has a built-in battery, so I can easily carry it around with me. I can use it in my office, bathroom, or even take it to a party somewhere. The battery life is also great and can last for 24 hours of continuous playback. I can use my Beats Pill for a whole week without having to think about recharging it.
Another huge advantage is Bluetooth connectivity. You can simply pair it with any compatible device, while HomePod mini only works with Apple devices via AirPlay. By the way, you can also transmit Lossless audio to Beats Pill over USB-C and use the speaker as a powerbank for your iPhone.
Who should buy a HomePod mini then?
But there are certain things that the HomePod mini does better. For example, you can set up a pair of HomePod mini as the speakers for an Apple TV, which also work with your TV via the eARC connection. Beats Pill works with Apple TV, but you need to pair it every time just like Bluetooth headphones – and it won’t work for the rest of your TV.
If you want something to use with HomeKit, the HomePod mini is also better choice. That’s because HomePods have always-on microphones for using Siri, while the Beats Pill doesn’t. Setting up two HomePod minis in stereo mode is also easier, as you only need to do it once because they’re always connected on Wi-Fi.
Beats Pill special Black Friday offer
Typically, HomePod mini costs $99, while Beats Pill costs $149. However, during Black Friday 2024, you can find the Beats Pill for the same $99 as the HomePod mini. It’s a no-brainer deal.
What about you? Which one do you prefer? Let me know in the comments section below.
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