Beats Just Gave Up on Battery-Powered Bluetooth Speakers
Andrew Heinzman
Review Geek
I didn’t have time to Photoshop Tim Cook in this picture. LightField Studios/Shutterstock.com
Beats and its parent company Apple no longer sell portable, battery-powered Bluetooth speakers. The companies have only sold one such speaker, the Beats Pill+, since 2015. But as of January 10th, the Beats Pill+ is discontinued.
It’s an odd situation, to say the least. Beats Pill+ is a legendary Bluetooth speaker that laid a foundation for the brand’s future—it was the first Beats product to launch after Apple acquired the company in 2014, the first Beats device with a Lightning port, and of course, the first Beats speaker with an Apple-like design.
But we should have known this day was coming, because Apple has really neglected the world of portable Bluetooth speakers. It’s focused almost entirely on the HomePod, a wired device, and it’s transformed Beats into more of a headphone brand than a proper audio brand.
Also, Apple never added some of its most compelling features to the Beats Pill+. While other Beats and Apple products gained AirPlay, Siri, and lossless audio support, the Beats Pill+ remained a bit of a dinosaur. I mean, it’s been on the market for almost seven years!
Where’s the silver lining? Well, maybe Apple is preparing to launch a portable Bluetooth speaker with all the features of its HomePod devices. But we haven’t heard rumors of such a device, so don’t give your hopes up. In the meantime, you’re stuck shopping for non-Apple Bluetooth speakers or the Sonos Roam, which supports AirPlay 2.
The 6 Best Bluetooth Speakers of 2021 
[
](https://px1.lifesavvy.com/ar/reviewgeek/107360/-1/Sonos-One-Gen-Speaker-Control/dp/B07QM4SC35?tag=reviewgeek-20 "Sonos One")
Best Overall
Sonos One
$570.00
[
](https://px1.lifesavvy.com/ar/reviewgeek/107360/-1/dp/B07594HZ6Y?tag=reviewgeek-20 "Tribit XSound Go")
Best Budget
Tribit XSound Go
$31.44 
$45.99 Save 32%
[
](https://px1.lifesavvy.com/ar/reviewgeek/107360/-1/Ultimate-Ears-HYPERBOOM-Bluetooth-Resistant/dp/B07XJ8B9NV?tag=reviewgeek-20 "Ultimate Ears Hyperboom")
Best Premium
Ultimate Ears Hyperboom
$449.99
[
](https://px1.lifesavvy.com/ar/reviewgeek/107360/-1/dp/B07DD3W154?tag=reviewgeek-20 "Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3")
Best Outdoors Speaker
Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3
$171.84
$199.99 Save 14%
[
](https://px1.lifesavvy.com/ar/reviewgeek/107360/-1/JBL-Waterproof-Portable-Bluetooth-Speaker/dp/B07QK2SPP7?ref_=&tag=reviewgeek-20 "JBL Flip 5")
Best Portable Speaker
JBL Flip 5
$129.95
[
](https://px1.lifesavvy.com/ar/reviewgeek/107360/-1/JBL-CHARGE-Portable-Bluetooth-Waterproof/dp/B08X4WQ3LP/ref=?tag=reviewgeek-20 "JBL Charge 5")
Best Battery
JBL Charge 5
$179.95
Source: 9to5Mac
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