iOS 18 to Bring These 5 New Features to AirPods Pro

[MacRumors]

Apple's upcoming iOS 18 software update is packed with features for supported iPhones, but it also promises to make your AirPods Pro experience better with a handful of sophisticated new capabilities that draw from machine learning improvements and AI enhancements.

The following five AirPods Pro features are expected to arrive later this year, when iOS 18 is released to the general public in the fall.

Head Gestures

Apple is set to add new head gestures that allow users to control AirPods Pro handsfree and without saying a word. With the new gestures, you can nod your head up and down, or shake it left to right, in order to answer or decline a call. Siri Interactions will also allow users to answer or dismiss calls, interact with messages, manage notifications, and more — all without speaking.

Voice Isolation

Apple's iPhones include a calling feature that can make your voice clearer to the person you're speaking to when on a call, even when you're in a busy environment. Apple in iOS 18 is adding Voice Isolation to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ so that they also cut down on loud background sounds.

When you're on a call, the mics on AirPods Pro usually pick up a wide range of sounds in the environment, like wind around the caller. But with Voice Isolation, machine learning will distinguish these sounds, block out any ambient noise, and prioritize your voice so that it comes through clearly.

Personalized Spatial Audio for Gaming

Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking will be available for gaming across AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max — delivering the immersive audio customers have come to love when listening to music, or watching movies and shows.

Apple says that when using AirPods Pro, gamers will have the best wireless audio latency it has ever delivered for mobile gaming. AirPods Pro users will also enjoy improved voice quality, including 16-bit, 48kHz audio, when chatting with teammates and other players. Game developers will also be able to incorporate spatial audio into their games for a more immersive audio experience.

Granular Adaptive Audio Control

Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro have an Adaptive Audio feature called Adaptive Noise Control, which adjusts sound and active noise cancelation in response to changes in your environment.

Right now, Adaptive Audio is an all or nothing setting, but that's set to change in iOS 18. Apple has added a "Customize Adaptive Audio" menu that lets you adjust the setting to allow for more or less noise.

Hearing Aid Mode

AirPods Pro will gain a new "hearing aid mode" with the release of iOS 18 later this year, according to a March report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. AirPods Pro already offer a Conversation Boost feature, which boosts the volume and clarity of people directly in front of the wearer, but so far Apple has not advertised the earbuds as a hearing aid device.

Article Link: iOS 18 to Bring These 5 New Features to AirPods Pro

 

[ijordano]

I could have sworn voice isolation was always a feature

 

[spaxxedout]

Hoping future devices will support the low latency lossless feature from Vision Pro. Even if range is just a few feet, it would be a game changer.

 

[tennisproha]

Voice Isolation already exists… It’s been a feature since the AirPods Pro first came out. I use it all the time so I’m not sure why the WWDC demo touted it as a “new feature”.

Wide Spectrum however, has never worked for me.

Edit: Just looked into this. Apparently Wide Spectrum only works on FaceTime Audio and Video, not cellular calls.

And there’s even an existing support document for Voice Isolation:

Use Voice Isolation, Wide Spectrum, or Automatic Mic Mode on your iPhone and iPad - Apple Support

When you want your voice to be even clearer during a FaceTime or phone call, turn on Voice Isolation, which prioritizes your voice and blocks ambient noises. When you want your voice and all the sounds around you to be heard during a FaceTime call, you can turn on Wide Spectrum to leave ambient...

support.apple.com

 

[JCsHands2]

Granular Adaptive Audio Control mentions second gen pros, does that mean that the other features are coming to the first gen pros as well?

 

[TechWhisperer]

It will be a pain in the butt to get in touch with Timothy.

 

[mrat93]

Voice Isolation already exists. It’s had the feature since the AirPods Pro first came out.

Full Spectrum however, has never worked.

I’ve been confused about this since WWDC and i’m still confused.

 

[Infodataset]

Finally i can watch my porn videos safely without someone jumpscaring me from behind

 

[Jimmy Bubbles]

Too bad they won't add live translation, since there's a translation app now on the watch as well as phone.

 

[nchlsgrbr]

I could have sworn voice isolation was always a feature

I've def been using this for a year, probably more. Am I misunderstanding the claim? I enable it during calls on my Mac and on my phone with AirPods Pro.

 

[rbramseyjr]

Too bad they won't add live translation, since there's a translation app now on the watch as well as phone.

can't release every feature all at once... how else are they gonna make you upgrade to next year's almost identical device? 😅

 

[ghostface147]

The head gestures are interesting. Lots of people are going to look silly moving their head to do things.

 

[yustas]

Voice isolation exists now. What am I missing?

 

[W£S]

I could have sworn voice isolation was always a feature

I have been using it for years so I wonder why is it positioned as new. Did something change?

 

[W£S]

Voice Isolation already exists. It’s had the feature since the AirPods Pro first came out.

Full Spectrum however, has never worked.

Wide spectrum does work. I tested it before. When it is activated, voice/sound which would never be picked up was projected to the person I was speaking too.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I could have sworn voice isolation was always a feature

Same -- I'm positive I've seen it
Was it only when doing Facetime or something maybe?

 

[ryanmp]

I'm so confused... Voice Isolation already exists for AirPods Pro, what is different? Why is this being shown as a new feature?

Is that they are expanding it from FaceTime calls to regular phone calls?

 

[Apple_Robert]

I am interested in how well the head movement feature will work. Some good additions To iPadOS.

 

[AppleTO]

I feel like they re-announce some sort of voice/surrounding isolation every year as a new feature. Very confusing.

 

[tennisproha]

I’ve been confused about this since WWDC and i’m still confused.

yeah I just rewatched that portion of the keynote and the feature literally already does what they’re saying is new

 

[ATmahe]

From my understanding, right now voice isolation happens on the iPhone.
In the future the AirPods will do it.

 

[tennisproha]

From my understanding, right now voice isolation happens on the iPhone.
In the future the AirPods will do it.

But it works with the AirPods now

 

[Fuzzball84]

View attachment 2392414
It will be a pain in the butt to get in touch with Timothy.

Either using his AirPods Pro or he breakdancing on Apple HQ roof. That’s the only reason they made Apple Watch Ultra, so he could have a watch that is robust enough not to break while he dances.

 

[Jake3231]

But it works with the AirPods now

I *think* that right now voice isolation is done entirely on iPhone, and with iOS 18 some of the voice isolation processing will be done also on the AirPods Pro. But I’m also confused.

 

[Fuzzball84]

I *think* that right now voice isolation is done entirely on iPhone, and with iOS 18 some of the voice isolation processing will be done also on the AirPods Pro. But I’m also confused.

Surely it is all done on AirPods… the latency would be huge if processed on iPhone