Short answer: the Bose Portable Smart Speaker for better sound quality, the Beats Pill 2024 for the lower price. The Bose Portable Smart Speaker ranks #65 of 145 medium speakers, rated 3.4/5, at $399. The Beats Pill 2024 ranks #66, rated 3.3/5, at $99.95, $299.05 cheaper.
What the Bose Portable Smart Speaker does well: Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room. The tradeoff: RTINGS found the out of the box tuning boomy and says it doesn’t get very loud; the app’s bass and treble sliders help, and SoundGuys recommended cutting bass by 10 to 20 steps to balance it.
What the Beats Pill 2024 does well: Doubles as a power bank (USB-C charge-out). The catch: Boosted upper bass, somewhat thuddy.
Buy the Bose Portable Smart Speaker if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Beats Pill 2024 if the price matters more than sound quality.
There is a real battery-life gap here: the Beats Pill 2024 is rated for 24 hours, the Bose Portable Smart Speaker only 12 hours.
There is a real gap in water resistance: the Beats Pill 2024 at IP67 (brief submersion) against the Bose Portable Smart Speaker, which has IPX4 (splashing).
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Bose Portable Smart Speaker | Beats Pill 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $399.00 | $99.95 |
| Ranked | #65 of 145 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #66 of 145 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 | IP67 |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | No |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) | 1.5 lbs (680 g) |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) | 8.6” x 2.8” x 2.8” (219 x 71 x 70 mm) |
| App | Yes (Bose Music) | Yes |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) | No |
| Drivers | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators | 2x drivers with dual passive radiators |
| Digital Aux Input | No | Yes (USB-C) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | - |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) | - |
| Power Bank | No | Yes (USB-C) |
| Strap | No | Yes (lanyard) |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | ~56Hz |
| TWS | - | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More top alternatives to Bose Portable Smart Speaker:
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker
- JBL Charge 6 vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker
- JBL Flip 6 vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker
- JBL Flip 7 vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker
- Harman Kardon Luna vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker
Prices on this page were last checked September 26, 2026 at 11:14 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
Bose Portable Smart Speaker: $399.00 Bose eBay
Pros: Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room. It works as a Wi-Fi speaker at home (AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect) and as a Bluetooth speaker away from Wi-Fi, weighs about 1 kg with a carry handle, and is IPX4 splash resistant. SoundGuys measured 13 hours 6 minutes of playback at 75 dB, beating Bose’s 12 hour claim, and found the bass impressive for its size, especially near a wall or corner. Its 360 degree design spreads sound evenly around a room.
Cons: RTINGS found the out of the box tuning boomy and says it doesn’t get very loud; the app’s bass and treble sliders help, and SoundGuys recommended cutting bass by 10 to 20 steps to balance it. Pushed to full volume, Tom’s Guide heard unbalanced sound and Pocket-lint found the bass struggling and turning incoherent. RTINGS measured only about 5 hours of battery in its own test. It is mono, has no aux input (the USB-C port only charges), uses Bluetooth 4.2, and the Bose Music app supports a limited list of streaming services. IPX4 covers splashes only, not submersion or dust.
Full Bose Portable Smart Speaker review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Bose Music) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Drivers | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Bose Portable Smart Speaker vs Sony ULT Field 3
- Bose Portable Smart Speaker vs Sonos Roam 2
- Bose Portable Smart Speaker vs Sonos Play
- Bose Portable Smart Speaker vs JBL Grip
- Bose Portable Smart Speaker vs Bose Soundlink Revolve+ II
- Bose Portable Smart Speaker vs Ultimate Ears Boom 4
- Bose Portable Smart Speaker vs Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen
- Bose Portable Smart Speaker vs Tribit Xsound Plus 2
- See all 36 comparisons
Beats Pill 2024: $99.95 Amazon eBay
Older model: the Beats Pill+ (ranked lower, rated 2.1/5).
Pros: Doubles as a power bank (USB-C charge-out). 24 hour battery life; a 10 min quick-charge gives 2 hours. IP67 rated. Stereo pairs with a second Pill. Measured bass extension of ~56Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Boosted upper bass, somewhat thuddy. Slightly recessed mids. Rolled off treble.
Full Beats Pill 2024 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~56Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) |
| Dimensions | 8.6” x 2.8” x 2.8” (219 x 71 x 70 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x drivers with dual passive radiators |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | Yes (lanyard) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.5 lbs (680 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: New Beats Pill 2024: sound demo More from Oluv’Sone →
- Oluv Patreon: Beats Pill 2024 - first & last impression
- DailyTekk: NEW Beats Pill First Impressions & Sound Test - Worth $149?
- Alan Ross Reviews: Beats Pill vs Harman Luna vs Bose Flex vs Soundcore Motion Plus More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross - The Anti Shill!: Beats Pill (by Apple) 2024 version review vs JBL and Soundcore!
- Head-to-Head Comparisons