Beats Pill vs JBL Flip 6: A new portable speaker champion?

For years the JBL Flip 6 has long stood as the most popular Bluetooth speaker on the market. However, after nearly a decade of silence on the speaker front, Beats is back with a vengeance to reclaim the Bluetooth speaker throne. The new Beats Pill is a complete redesign, packed with new drivers and tons of features. Is that enough to overthrow the king? I tested out both the JBL Flip 6 and Beats Pill this summer to find out.

Editor’s note: this article was published on July 11, 2024, and is the first version of the article. Updates will follow as the market changes.

What’s it like to use the Beats Pill compared to the JBL Flip 6?

The Beats Pill is slightly larger than the JBL Flip 6, but the difference is negligible in everyday use. Both are small enough to fit in a backpack. The challenger weighs in at 680g, while our champion Flip 6 weighs in at a lighter 544g. The larger size of the Beats Pill means it can throw a heavier punch in battery life and sound quality (more on that later).

Both the Beats Pill and JBL Flip 6 have an IP67 dust and water resistance rating. This means both can handle a summer beach day, though you should still be careful around salt water. Both speakers come with a carrying loop so you can hang them in your shower.

How do you control the Beats Pill and JBL Flip 6?

When it comes to onboard controls, we have an even draw. Both speakers feature buttons on the top of the speaker to control music playback, adjust volume, or answer calls.

Should you use the apps of either the Beats Pill or JBL Flip 6?

When it comes to software, the JBL Flip 6 is the clear winner. The JBL Portable app is compatible on both iOS and Android, and has an equalizer to adjust the sound of the speaker. If you have multiple JBL speakers, you can easily enable PartyBoost and stereo playback modes from within the app rather than needing to learn the onboard controls.

The Beats Pill has an app for Android devices, but it doesn’t do much, and you don’t get an equalizer to adjust the sound. Apple device owners don’t get a companion app, but rather have all the software features baked into the Settings app on iOS. To enable Amplify Mode or Stereo Mode with a second Beats Pill, you have to use the onboard controls.

How do the Beats Pill and JBL Flip 6 connect?

The Beats Pill and JBL Flip 6 both use Bluetooth to connect to devices, and I didn’t experience connection issues with either speaker. Neither speaker supports 3.5mm aux input, but the Beats Pill does support wired lossless listening over USB-C.

Is battery life better on the Beats Pill or the JBL Flip 6?

The Beats Pill has 24 hours of stated battery life, double that of the JBL Flip 6 which has 12 hours of promised battery life. In our battery test, the JBL Flip 6 didn’t even last that long, only surviving for 9 hours and 25 minutes. Our battery testing for the Beats Pill is currently ongoing.

You can fast charge the Beats Pill to get two hours of playback time from only ten minutes of charging. The JBL Flip 6 doesn’t have fast charging and takes two and a half hours to fully charge.

Does the Beats Pill sound better than the JBL Flip 6?

When listening to the Beats Pill and JBL Flip 6 side by side, I was shocked by how different they sound. Despite being around the same size and price, there are some very clear distinctions between these two speakers.

The Beats Pill crushes the JBL Flip 6 when it comes to bass, and it’s not close. For its size, the Beats Pill delivers a very impressive amount of low-end extension. Yes, the Beats Pill does have the advantage of being slightly larger, but I haven’t heard anything near this size with much low-frequency thump. On a track like “Scenic Drive” by Khalid, the sub-bass is very prominent even at only 25% volume on the Beats Pill, whereas it is pretty much non-existent on the JBL Flip 6.

On the other hand, the JBL Flip 6 does a better job of reproducing mids than the Beats Pill. If you want to hear details in vocals, strings, and percussion tracks, the JBL Flip 6 is superior. When it comes to volume, the Beats Pill can get louder, but it does start to distort when you increase the volume past 80%.

Should you get the Beats Pill or the JBL Flip 6?

The JBL Flip 6 has a starting price that is less than that of the Beats Pill. Since it has been out for a few years, you also might be able to catch a great deal on the Flip 6. If you can find it for significantly less money than the Beats Pill, it is a no-brainer. It’s popular for a reason, as you get great durability, decent sound quality, and a few tricks with the JBL Portable app.

At the same price, I’d be inclined to go for the Beats Pill. I’m very impressed by the bass reproduction in such a small package, and I enjoyed listening to the speaker at my desk, in the shower, and at the beach. While I wish it had some more detail in the mids, or at least a native equalizer to adjust the sound, I still prefer the sound of the Beats Pill to that of the JBL Flip 6.

What should you get instead of the Beats Pill or JBL Flip 6?

If you don’t mind a slightly larger speaker, the JBL Charge 5 is worth checking out, $149 at Amazon. You get much louder output and better sound quality than the Beats Pill or JBL Flip 6, and you can even use the Charge 5 to power up your phone on the go. Paired with its water and dust resistance, the Charge 5 is the ideal outdoor party speaker.

If you want something smaller, there are lots of good cheap Bluetooth speakers. My favorite is the Sony SRS-XB100, $58 at Amazon. At only 274g, it’s a barely noticeable addition to a backpack, but it does still have some low-end thump. For its size, it also has great battery life and durability.

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