AirPods Pro to get spatial audio with iOS 14 update

The announcement was made by the tech giant’s CEO Tim Cook at the company’s 2020 Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) keynote speech.

Using the accelerometer and gyroscope in iOS devices, spatial technology will enable AirPods Pro to track users head movements in real time offering an immersive surround sound experience. Spatial Audio will be compatible with audio encoded in 5.1, 7.1 and Dolby Atmos, Apple Insider wrote.

Additionally, the automatic switching service, which will also be available to second-generation AirPods, Powerbeats, Powerbeats Pro and Beats Solo Pro in a firmware update, will let users switch their audio output depending on which device and app they move to. For example, if you’re listening to music on your iPhone and then start playing a video on your laptop, the audio feed will automatically switch over to your computer. Apple did not say when the new features would be rolled out.

The company also announced a number of new features for iOS 14 such as widgets that can be added to iOS homepages to make many apps more immediately accessible. Users can use Smart Stack to pile up widgets and quickly scroll through them to access the desired widget. The tool could be used for music-listening apps such as Apple Music and Spotify, producing widget versions to quickly play, pause, skip and repeat music.

Apple’s new app Translate also sees a significant improvement in iOS recording. The app will allow users to record and translate phrases and speech in real time. Apple Music will also get an update for iPad with a full screen that displays lyrics during playback.

Merger tool Catalyst, which was announced last year, lets users transfer development for iOS and Mac apps and use them interchangeably. The feature brings iOS apps directly to macOS and could be used to move iOS music-making apps like BandLab and Moog Minimoog Model D to macOS.

Watch Cook's WWDC 2020 keynote below: