Apple announces spatial audio in AirPods Pro and automatic device switching

Apple has announced a couple of new features for its AirPods family. The earbuds will now switch automatically between active devices, and the AirPods Pro will enable virtual surround sound.

João Carrasqueira Senior Editor for Europe Neowin @indospot · Jun 22, 2020 13:59 EDT with 3 comments

At its WWDC event, Apple has announced a couple of new features for its AirPods family of true wireless earbuds. These are pretty small additions, but they should be welcome ones.

First, all AirPods will now be able to switch between active devices automatically. If you're watching a video on your Mac and get a call on your phone, for example, the AirPods will connect to that instead.

For those that sprung for the more expensive AirPods Pro, Apple is delivering a new featuring - virtual spatial audio. Using different frequencies for each sound, the earbuds will simulate the feeling of sound all around the user. The feature relies on the gyroscope and accelerometer inside the AirPods Pro to determine the user's head position and create a stable sound profile that works as intended while the user moves around.

The new capabilities will be available alongside the new versions of Apple's operating systems being announced today - iOS 14, iPadOS 14, tvOS 14, and watchOS 7.