If you're an AirPods user, things are a lot better with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. If you're not, it may finally be time to grab yourself a set of AirPods, especially if you're into privacy and gaming.

Apple's iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 gave AirPods new features like Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Personalized Volume, and easy mute and unmuting. Now, iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 further enhance AirPods' abilities with a suite of innovative features designed to make your interactions more intuitive, your calls clearer, and your gaming sessions more immersive.

New AirPods Models Coming Sept. 20

AirPods 4: $129 on Amazon or $129 on B&H Photo Video
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Canceling: $179 on Amazon or $179 on B&H Photo Video
AirPods Max in New Colors: $549 on B&H Photo Video

1. Siri Interactions

With iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, your AirPods Pro 2 or new AirPods 4 includes Siri Interactions. It may seem like an odd name for a new Siri feature since all your exchanges with Siri are technically interactions, whether voice, text, or touch. But the upcoming updates add another layer: head movements.

With Siri Interactions, you get an intuitive, hands-free experience with your AirPods Pro or AirPods 4, making exchanges with Siri not only more convenient but also more private. You'll no longer have to talk to Siri out loud in quiet environments where everyone can hear you or in crowded areas where it's awkward to do so.

To respond to a question or announcement from Siri when wearing AirPods Pro, nod your head up and down to answer "yes" or shake it side to side for "no" — it's that easy. Enabled by machine learning on the H2 chip, these two head gestures let you answer calls, dismiss calls, interact with messages, manage your notifications, and more, all without having to speak.

2. Voice Isolation

AirPods Pro's new Voice Isolation feature is a game changer when you often find yourself in noisy environments. Voice Isolation, already available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, uses machine learning on the H2 chip on AirPods Pro 2 and new AirPods 4 to enhance your voice while filtering out background noise, such as wind, ensuring that you come through loud and clear on calls. Whether at a busy café or walking down a windy street, Voice Isolation will see to it that the person on the other end hears your voice without ambient interference.

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3. Personalized Spatial Audio in Games

Personalized Spatial Audio, which uses the TrueDepth camera on your iPhone, has been available since iOS 16. The feature scans your face and ears and creates a personal Spatial Audio profile fine-tuned for a more immersive listening experience with audiovisual content in supported apps, like FaceTime.

Once you create a profile, you can use it across all your iCloud-connected devices running at least iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1, macOS 13, tvOS 16, watchOS 9, or visionOS. And it works with all the latest AirPods models:

What's new in the latest software update is support for Personalized Spatial Audio and head tracking in games. This means you can experience immersive, 3D soundscapes that move with you, making your gaming sessions more engaging than ever. You'll feel like you're right in the middle of the action, with sounds coming from all around you.

4. Reduced Audio Latency in Games

Nothing ruins a gaming experience like audio lag. With the latest update, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 models offer the best wireless audio latency Apple has ever delivered for mobile gaming. This means the delay between your actions and the sound you hear will seem almost nonexistent, giving you a more responsive and immersive gaming experience in Apple's new Game Mode.

5. Improved Voice Quality in Games

Clarity is key when communicating with your gaming teammates. AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 models support improved voice quality, including 16-bit, 48 kHz audio. This will ensure that your voice comes through crisp and clear when chatting, making it easier to coordinate strategies and enjoy seamless conversations during gaming sessions.

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6. Developer API for Advanced Sound Design

Apple also introduced a new developer API, making it easier for game developers to create immersive audio experiences. This tool helps developers take full advantage of the advanced sound capabilities of AirPods, ensuring that your games sound better than ever.

According to Apple, Need for Speed Mobile will be one of the first titles to take advantage of the new Personalized Spatial Audio APIs.

7. New Hearing Health Features (Coming Soon)

If you have AirPods Pro 2, you're getting hearing features no other AirPods can have, including Hearing Test, Hearing Aid, and Hearing Protection. These features aren't expected until the fall.

Hearing Test

The scientifically validated Hearing Test feature lets you check your hearing using a standard clinical approach called pure-tone audiometry. According to Apple, it "leverages advanced acoustic science" and gives an interactive experience. After the test, you'll get an easy-to-understand summary of the results, which you can use to personalize your hearing profile on your iPhone or iPad or send off to your healthcare provider. This is intended for people 18 years old or older.

Hearing Aid

The clinical-grade Hearing Aid feature, which can help you if you have mild to moderate hearing loss or just want extra amplification of your surroundings, uses the Hearing Test profile or an audiogram from a healthcare professional to adjust to your needs. It's currently pending FDA authorization and is also intended for people 18 years old or older. It will also be supported on macOS Sequoia 15 and later.

After setup, [Hearing Aid] enables personalized dynamic adjustments so users have the sounds around them boosted in real time. This helps users better engage in conversation and keeps them connected to the people and environment around them. With the incredible audio quality of AirPods Pro, the user's personalized hearing profile is automatically applied to music, movies, games, and phone calls across their devices without needing to adjust any settings. This first-of-its-kind software-based Hearing Aid feature brings users the ability to fine-tune their experience at any time, making access to hearing assistance easier than ever at an approachable price point.
— Apple

Hearing Protection

The Hearing Protection feature can help you minimize exposure to loud environmental noise, like at a concert, in the subway, when mowing the lawn, or at a sporting event. While it does this, it can also preserve the sound signature of what you're listening to. However, it will not help when exposed to sustained sounds louder than 110 dBA. It will also be supported on macOS Sequoia 15 and later.

The ear tips help to provide passive noise reduction, while the H2 chip helps to actively reduce louder, more intermittent noise at 48,000 times per second. On by default across all listening modes, Hearing Protection is helpful in a variety of loud settings. Plus, with an all-new multiband high dynamic range algorithm, sounds at live events like concerts remain natural and vibrant so users don't miss a beat.
— Apple

The Future of AirPods Pro Sounds Great

Get ready to elevate your AirPods experience with these groundbreaking updates. Whether taking calls, interacting with Siri, or diving into a game, these new features are designed to make your life easier and more enjoyable.

Most of these exciting new features are available for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4, or AirPods 4 with Active Noise Canceling, while some are available for all the latest AirPods models with updated firmware.

Images via Apple

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AirPods Are Getting Even Better Thanks to iOS 18

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