The new firmware 3A283 released by Apple for the AirPods Pro appears to introduce Spatial Audio support , in conjunction with iOS 14 .
At WWDC 2020, Apple announced some exciting changes coming to the AirPods lineup via firmware updates, including Spatial Audio for the Pro and automatic switching for all models.
The first is a surround sound system . It uses the gyroscope and accelerometer of the headphones and iPhone to track head movement and the position of the iPhone , and then studies that motion data to influence the sound you receive.
According to reports on Twitter and the MacRumors forums, the firmware update adds a “spatial audio” to the Control Center , which can be toggled on to enable the feature. Note that using spatial audio on AirPods Pro requires to be installed the iOS 14 update.
Although Apple has yet to release iOS 14 to the public, it is currently beta testing a near-final version of the software. The company is expected to release iOS 14 before the next iPhone is unveiled.
This AirPods Pro firmware update also brings a feature that enables automatic device switching. Automatic switching will connect the headphones to any Apple device that is signed in to your iCloud when you turn on the sound on that device and are actively using it.
Available for AirPods and AirPods Pro, it lets them switch directly between their MacBook, iPhone, or iPad, detecting when you change the desired audio source to a new device. It's a feature that most users have been waiting for for a while now, and it looks impressive. Of course, the component that makes it even more impressive is the automatic switching back to the iPhone immediately when you have an incoming call.
