Beats has been out of the speaker game for quite some time. Its last speaker, the Tablet Plus, was discontinued last year in 2022. Later, Beats’ parent company, Apple, took over home speakers like the HomePod and HomePod Tiny, ceding the portable market to Bose, Sony, JBL, Anker, and many other brands. However now, fresh off the heels of a not-so-subtle Superstar teaser campaign, the Beats tablet is making a comeback.
The 2024 upgrade, which is on sale these days for $149.99, has a regular design. But inside, everything has changed, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much the new tablet is capable of. At its core, you’re getting a mono Bluetooth speaker. And there are tone detail tradeoffs all the time at this compact dimension – that’s just physics – it’s the extras and bonus options that really help keep the refreshed Beats tablet a step ahead of previous models.
This round, the tablet supports lossless audio playback over USB-C. You’ll be able to use the same USB-C port for external devices for the price, which is also a feature offered by many of the competition. It has a removable lanyard that makes it easy to carry the tablet around, and the device is given an IP67 rating for mud and water resistance. The battery is now doubled to a maximum of 24 hours, and Beats still includes speakerphone capability.
Like all of Logo’s contemporary headphones and earbuds, the tablet is designed to support both Android and iOS natively: on both platforms, you’ll benefit from one-tap setup and Find My/In Finding My software. . There are no hands-free “Hey Siri” tonality instructions, and don’t expect AirPlay integration, although Beats has checked off nearly every optional property I could ask for. As a result, the tablet appears to be its most focused product in a long time.
The tablet is available in 3 colors – red, dark, or gold – with a steel grill and silicone wrapped over the speaker recesses for added strength. Control controls are well placed, with a power button on the left, a middle button for monitor controls, and volume on the right. All the buttons are easy to feel even when you’re not looking at the tablet, and clicking on them is a pleasure. The entire enclosure features a redesigned woofer and tweeter.
Beats’ advertising and marketing campaign claims that the racetrack-style woofer is capable of delivering 90 percent more air volume displacement and more powerful motor pressure than the Tablet Plus and has reduced low-end distortion. Both the woofer and tweeter have a 20 percent upward tilt that allows tones to reach your ears more naturally when placed on a tablet or desk. Although the tablet may not offer stereo output like the Tablet Plus, the new parts have advanced. If you want true stereo playback, you can hyperlink two drugs together wirelessly. (The two can also be combined within the normal mono listening method if you want to decorate them in different rooms during the celebration.)
In most cases crowds use such speakers for extremely aimless, non-critical listening – whether at home, while traveling, or for a weekend trip to the beach. And in most of those scenarios, the Beats Tablet sounds absolutely excellent. Now not all tracks handle mono mixdown beautifully, so from time to time you’ll land on a track where you’ll be short of extras. It’s not that intense anymore. Although mono is the norm among many speakers of this dimension. And for the most part, I’m happy with the tablet’s tone performance. It’s sunny, can crank pretty fast, and is neatly tuned for today’s chart toppers.
If you want the most productive audio stability that this speaker can provide, the technology to plug in over USB-C is always available. I really like the selection, even if it seems superfluous for a speaker this grand. Every time the USB-C cable is plugged in, the tablet determines whether it’s getting any value from that device (like a computer) or whether it’s getting juice in return (if it’s your telephone ). You can manually decide which direction the price is going by tapping the power button three times. Pressing the button twice activates your phone’s selected tonality function, giving you access to both Siri or Google Associate; It’s no longer hands-free like the HomePod or Nest Audio. I was pleased with the tablet’s speakerphone capability. The Beats’ noise-suppression rules did a remarkable job of isolating my tone from background noise when yelling.
In fact, there’s not much to hate about the remastered Beats Tablet if you look past its mono output – and I believe many networks will have no trouble doing so. It works really well and will withstand any outdoor adventure you bring with it. The battery lasts a long time, and you get a fair amount of bonus options besides Bluetooth playback. If Beats was charging more than the $150 asking price, I’d probably be less enthusiastic about recommending it. However, as it stands, it seems like there’s a little Apple/Beats tax on gaming here. For what you’re paying the tablet is more than aggressive.
Image via Chris Welch/The Verge
