Apple’s AirPods have been out for a while now, but its combination of features and convenience still makes them one of the best true wireless earbuds out there. And if this year’s WWDC keynote is to be believed, the AirPods software is about to get a whole lot better.
Apparently, the AirPods software has learned a few new tricks— Automatic Switching and Spatial Audio being the most significant ones.
Automatic Switching
Let’s start with Automatic Switching; this new feature will come as an AirPods firmware update in all devices. Put simply; it will automatically switch audio inputs seamlessly between devices without you having to fiddle with the Bluetooth settings. For instance, if your phone rings while you’re watching a movie on your iPad, the audio feed will automatically switch over to your iPhone. And when you’re done, it will automatically switch back.
Spatial Audio
In addition to that, Apple also revealed a new Spatial Audio feature that will only be available on its AirPods Pro earbuds. The spatial sound feature is set to up the ante on your movie-watching experience.
According to the WWDC keynote, the AirPods Pro will soon be able to mimic a full-room array of speakers much like the Dolby Atmos or any other high-end audio system. Apple is reportedly using a facial audio algorithm to make it seem like the sound is actually surrounding the user.
The AirPods Pro will constantly recalibrate the frequencies each ear receives to compensate for head and device movements so that the sound field stays fixed—Just as though you were sitting in a movie theatre. The feature will also come as an AirPods firmware update.
Audio Sharing
Moreover, Apple will also be adding an Audio Sharing feature for Apple TV so that users can connect two sets of AirPods to the TV, allowing them to watch a movie together without disturbing others. iOS 14 will also come with support for battery notifications that will let users know when they need to charge their headphones.
Sadly, Apple didn’t say when we could expect the new AirPods software update to be rolled out. Till then, we’ll be waiting at the edge of our seats.