Airpods and Airpods Pro Firmware Update

WWDC 2020 saw announcements on subsequent iteration of iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS, and tvOS needless to say . What wasn't expected were announcements regarding the AirPods. Apple's truly wireless earbuds don't really have an OS of their own, and therefore the company has never really announced major updates for previous AirPods models. The AirPods and AirPods Pro get some new features that make the special from there competition.

The biggest new feature coming to the AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro is that the ability to automatically switch between Apple devices. Now, rather than manually connecting to the AirPods on the Mac or iPad, the AirPods will automatically hook up with the Apple device that's getting used .

Example of auto switch feature.

 

If your AirPods are connected to the iPhone, but you would like to carry a video turn the Mac, the earbuds will automatically switch the latter. Similarly, if you choose up the iPad to observe a movie, the AirPods will automatically hook up with the iPad in order that you'll easily transition between your devices.

The next major update is named Spatial Audio, which is specifically for the AirPods Pro. Spatial Audio looks to supply a cinema experience. It uses motion tracking - within the way your head and iPhone move - to remap the sound field. Spatial Audio supports Dolby 5.1, 7.1, and Atmos. Apple hasn't revealed when these features are going to be coming to the AirPods.

Spatial Audio.