It’s official: Beats, Apple’s audio brand, and The Pokémon Company unveiled a special-edition Pokémon Beats Pill this Tuesday, October 13. Teased the day before, the speaker features 
Pikachu and 
Mimikyu on its grille. It goes on sale on Thursday, October 15 at $149.99, but only in the United States, the United Kingdom and China: no release has been announced in France for now.
Update, October 13, 3:45 p.m.: this article, originally published from Beats’ teaser, has been completed with the official announcement (design, price, date and countries).
Pikachu and Mimikyu share the grille
The speaker keeps the gray body of the Beats Pill, with a touch of electric yellow. On the grille, Pikachu appears in full color, surrounded by raised lightning bolts, next to a Mimikyu in shades of gray. The pairing is no accident: Mimikyu, the Alolan Pokémon that disguises itself as Pikachu with an old piece of cloth, is its most famous look-alike. According to Beats, the collaboration is inspired by “the power of Pikachu’s brightest spark”.
For the first time, a Beats Pill comes with a charm: a Poké Ball attached to a matching detachable gray lanyard. The box also contains Beats x Pokémon stickers. Even the packaging got special attention: the box, in Pikachu’s colors on one side and Mimikyu’s on the other, is interactive, with an ear that lifts up to display it.
Price, date and countries: France absent for now
- Release: Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 8 a.m. Pacific time (5 p.m. in Paris);
- Price: $149.99 in the United States, the same price as the other colors;
- United States: on apple.com and at Target (online and in select stores);
- United Kingdom: on apple.com and at Argos (online and in select stores);
- China: on apple.com and on Douyin.
France is not on the list, nor is the rest of continental Europe. French fans will therefore have to wait and hope for wider distribution, or turn to importing from the United Kingdom, with the shipping and customs costs that entails since Brexit. Beats’ official page lets you sign up to be notified of the launch.
A teaser the day before, an announcement on Apple’s launch day
Beats started the countdown on Monday, October 12 with a short teaser titled “Time to catch something new”. It showed the Beats logo next to a Poké Ball, then a Beats Pill crossed by yellow lightning bolts and a purple halo. In hindsight, those two colors did point to the Pikachu and Mimikyu duo.
The official announcement came on the very day Apple, which has owned Beats since 2014, gathered journalists and content creators in New York under the slogan “Welcome home”. The link between Apple and Pokémon isn’t new, either: in late August, Tim Cook welcomed a delegation from The Pokémon Company to Apple Park, Pikachu included.
What is the Beats Pill?
Relaunched in 2024, the Beats Pill is Beats’ portable speaker. Apart from its design, the Pokémon edition is identical to the standard model, sold for €169.95 on the Apple Store in France in Matte Black, Statement Red and Champagne Gold:
- up to 24 hours of battery life;
- IP67-rated water and dust resistance;
- a USB-C port for charging, lossless wired audio and even charging a phone;
- the ability to pair two Beats Pills in Amplified or Stereo mode;
- Bluetooth 5.3, compatible with iPhone and Android alike.
Key takeaways
- The Pokémon edition Beats Pill is official, with Pikachu and Mimikyu on the grille, a Poké Ball charm and an interactive box.
- It goes on sale Thursday, October 15 at $149.99, only in the United States, the United Kingdom and China.
- No French release has been announced to date: we will update this article if that changes.
And you, would you be ready to import one for your collection?
Sources: Beats by Dre (official collaboration page), Beats by Dre (YouTube), Apple Store (Beats Pill product page).
