Put a Pokemon character, especially Pikachu, on just about anything — including a $100 Polaroid camera — and fans will take notice. On Tuesday, Beats by Dre revealed the look of its upcoming Pokemon-themed Beats Pill Bluetooth speaker, as well as the cost and where to buy it.
Beats by Dre teased the collab on Monday, but confirmed it on Tuesday. The company’s social-media post and official website revealed that the special-edition Pokemon Beats Pill speaker will be available Thursday.
While we guessed on Monday there might be two different Pills speakers, it turns out there’s only one, with two Pokemon characters on it. The speaker is shown with both a Pikachu image and one of Mimikyu, a sad Pokemon who disguises itself as Pikachu.
The special-edition Pokemon Beats Pill will sell for $149.99 at Target and apple.com, and is already shown on Target’s website. It comes with the speaker itself, a removable lanyard and charm, and Beats x Pokemon stickers.
On Monday, Beats shared a teaser with the caption, “Time to catch something new,” which plays off the classic Pokemon tagline, “Gotta catch ’em all!” The 6-second video shows electrical charges in yellow and purple flashing over a shadowed Beats Pill speaker. It ends with a screen showing the Pokemon Poke Ball logo and the Beats by Dre “b” logo, with an X between them, teasing the product collaboration.
Apple bought Beats by Dre for $3 billion back in 2014.
The speaker isn’t a brand-new revelation for those who stay up-to-date on all things Pokemon. Last week, a Pokemon fan who goes by BritBrattv posted a photo to Facebook showing a bright yellow Pikachu-themed Beats Pill speaker in what appears to be a Target shopping cart, though that photo was not confirmed as official.
And former Apple CEO Tim Cook shared a video on X in August showing Pikachu visiting Apple Park.
“Today’s agenda at Apple Park,” Cook wrote. “Introduce the @Pokemon team to John, talk gaming and politely ask Pikachu to stay out of the pond. Two out of three were accomplished.” By “John,” he presumably meant John Ternus, the new Apple CEO.
Representatives for Beats by Dre and Pokemon didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Beats Pill speaker in non-Pokemon designs is priced at $129 at Target and Amazon as of Tuesday. In a 2024 review, CNET audio expert David Carnoy called the Pill “a very good compact Bluetooth speaker,” praising its sound quality and strong battery life.