During WWDC, surprising news was announced about the AirPods Pro. The earbuds will soon support ‘Spatial Audio’. But how exactly does this function work?
Spatial Audio on AirPods Pro
The AirPods Pro become even smarter with the new function. ‘Spatial Audio’ actually means that the AirPods Pro will soon support surround sound. This includes support for 5.1, 7.1 and Dolby Atmos sound.
This means that it becomes possible to watch movies with surround sound, where the sound seems to move around you. The sound then seems to come from in front, behind and even above you. For example, if a shot sounds from the left in a movie scene, you will also hear the sound passing through your left ear. That way it looks like you’re there. This is also called 3D audio and we know it from cinemas.
The ‘Spatial Audio’ function also takes into account that you move your head, so that the sound is automatically adjusted. The AirPods use the built-in gyroscope and accelerometer for this. The gyroscope works a bit like a compass. He uses gravity to orient himself in space. An accelerometer measures movement by means of vibrations.
That way, the earplugs constantly re-establish the position of your head. Because the sound is adjusted immediately when you move, you always remain the center of the sound. This feature only comes to the AirPods Pro, and not the normal version of the earbuds.
Possibly also in future devices
It may well be that Apple is preparing for the arrival of new products with this function. For example, the Apple Glass could also use this technique and there is also speculation that the AirPods Studio will take over this function.
Another new feature of the AirPods announced during WWDC is a smart pairing feature between different devices. For example, are your AirPods connected to your iPhone, but are you grabbing your MacBook? Then your AirPods Pro automatically switch devices as soon as sound is heard from your MacBook.
If you then receive a call on your iPhone, the earbuds will also automatically switch back. Pairing and Spatial Audio are likely to be available at the same time as iOS 14.
More about WWDC 2020
All kinds of new features were announced during WWDC. The biggest announcement of the evening was iOS 14. Although the update mainly focuses on privacy, the homescreen is also being overhauled.
For example, you have the option to set widgets and there is an App Library. You can read all about the new features of iOS 14 in our overview article. Curious about what else was announced at the developer event? Then read our WWDC 2020 round-up for a brief overview.