Beats and Pokémon Release Special-Edition Beats Pill With Pikachu and Mimikyu Design
Beats and The Pokémon Company have launched a $149 special-edition Beats Pill decorated with Pikachu and Mimikyu, on sale October 15 at Apple and Target with the same audio hardware as the standard model.
The collaboration keeps the acoustic system and feature set of the standard Beats Pill and changes the exterior, with a two-tone theme that runs from the packaging to the speaker grill. According to a hands-on review published by 9to5Mac, the box shows Pikachu's signature yellow on one side and Mimikyu's grayscale look on the other, with the ears of both characters printed so they extend past the edges of the packaging.
On the speaker itself, Mimikyu appears on the left side of the grill in grayscale, while Pikachu sits on the right in yellow with red cheeks. Chrome-accented lightning bolts protrude from the surface around Pikachu, adding texture to the grill. Beats also includes a rubber charm on the lanyard, a double-sided disc with the Beats logo on one face and a Poké Ball on the other.
The 9to5Mac reviewer described the combination of the unboxing and the product's detailing as making it feel closer to a collectible than a standard speaker, while noting that it remains the same Bluetooth speaker Apple has been selling. The hardware includes a custom racetrack woofer and a dedicated tweeter, up to 24 hours of playback on a single charge, and enough power from a 10-minute charge for up to two hours of listening. It carries an IP67 dust and water resistance rating, supports high-resolution lossless playback over a wired connection, can charge a compatible smartphone through its USB-C port, and pairs with Apple and Android devices in one tap.
On price, the Pokémon edition matches the standard Beats Pill at Apple at $149, while Target and other retailers list the standard model at $129. The Kim Kardashian edition of the Beats Pill is also on sale at Amazon for $85, according to 9to5Mac.
The reviewer said the collaboration was well executed and predicted the speaker would sell out quickly, with some buyers likely to keep it sealed as a collector's item. The one feature the reviewer said was missing was a Pikachu sound played when the speaker pairs with a device.