With a characteristic beaming smile and Aussie swagger a-plenty, F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo is the second sportsperson to wield a Beats Pill speaker that we’ve not seen before. In a photo posted to the official F1 Instagram, as drivers prepare for the Miami GP this weekend, Ricciardo swings a Pill from his finger in much the same way that Basketball star Lebron James did just last week on the Lakers Instagram.
Does this photo tell us much more about the speaker? No, only that it looks like Beats' marketing department really wants attention to be on that lanyard strap that sports people have been hanging the speaker from.
New Beats on the way
This comes just after Beats revealed the new Beats Solo4 and Solo buds, both lower-cost alternatives to more expensive counterparts. In this case, however, it seems to be a return to an old product line that’s now discontinued — Bluetooth speakers.
The Beats Pill line of old was a popular collection of Bluetooth speakers that, you guessed it, resembled pills. They shared the same bassy sound profile as the headphones, and carried the Beats logo with pride: Until they were discontinued. This new speaker looks an awful lot like the old Pill speakers, although with an added lanyard and a snazzy silver color option.
It looks like Apple has been giving Beats an injection of life over the last few months. With the Studio Pro over ears and the Studio Buds Plus last year and now the Solo4 and Solo buds, the entire product line is being completely refreshed. The Beats Pill line of speakers would round out the catalog nicely, especially when Bluetooth speakers are the one thing that Apple doesn’t make at the moment (and the HomePods don’t really count).
None of the other drivers in the F1 paddock seem to be wielding a Beats Pill, so we only get one look at the speaker — although Lewis Hamilton appears to be enjoying the Miami heat. Good on you, Lewis.
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