Pikachu Meets Portable Audio in the New Pokémon x Beats Pill
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While it’s pretty rare to see Apple debut “branded” special edition products, the company seems to have no problem at all treating its Beats division as a playground for collaborations. In fact, it’s done limited-run collabs with everything from fashion houses and streetwear pioneers to athletes and pop culture icons.
That makes it somewhat unsurprising to see Pikachu entering the building today, with the iconic character emblazoned on a special-edition Pokémon x Beats Pill alongside Mimikyu in what’s being heralded as a symbiotic pairing.
The speaker hardware is otherwise the same Beats Pill that’s been around since 2024, with this version featuring a gray body and grille that lets the electric yellow Pikachu pop while the grayscale Mimikyu sort of blends into the mysterious darkness.
“Pokémon Trainers are some of the most passionate in the world, and we saw an opportunity to channel that energy into something fun, unexpected, and created especially for fans,” said Chris Thorne, Beats CMO. “This collaboration unites two brands rooted in culture, giving fans a new way to express their love of Pokémon through sound.”
However, the branding goes beyond the design of the speaker itself, as Beats is also featuring a “playfully interactive packaging design” and — for the first time ever — some charms inside the box, including the iconic Poké Ball, the Beats “b” logo, and some of Pikachu’s signature lightning bolts.
Beats is leaning into the branding, with a tagline that says the special-edition speaker will “unleash the energy of your music, from the brightest spark of Pikachu to the deepest depths of Mimikyu” — and undoubtedly the bass line that goes along with it.
The good news is that Beats isn’t charging a premium here. The special-edition Pokémon x Beats Pill sells for the same $149.99 price as every other Beats Pill speaker, despite the design and extra pack-ins. That means you’re getting the same 24 hours of battery life and IP67 dust and water resistance, plus a color-matched removable lanyard where you can attach the included charms.
Two Beats Pill speakers can also be paired wirelessly to either amplify the music or create a stereo soundstage, and since the only thing unique about the Pokémon x Beats Pill is its exterior design, you can pair the new one with any other Beats Pill you already own (although hardcore Pokémon fans are more than welcome to buy two).
The Beats Pill can also double as a USB-C power pack for an iPhone or other electronic device, and it can output lossless audio via the USB-C port (although I suspect most people would be hard-pressed to tell the difference on a speaker like this).
The Pokémon x Beats Pill goes on sale on Thursday, October 15 at 8 a.m. PT via apple.com in the US, UK, and China, and online and at select locations of Target in the US, Argos in the UK, and Douyin in China. Sadly, it won’t be available outside of those three countries.
