The upcoming AirPods Pro might look like the current ones … but they may sound very different.
apple
Update from June 25 below. This publication was first published on June 24, 2022.
A new leak seems to confirm that a very big update could come with the upcoming release of Apple’s headphones, Apple AirPods Pro 2, scheduled for later this year. A new beta software for AirPods has just been released for developers and portends something that sounds normal, an updated Bluetooth codec for Apple AirPods Max, but that could have spectacular repercussions, for example, for future in-ears , such as the AirPods Pro.
MORE FORBESApple iOS 16: Apple has just unveiled the most fantastic iPhone update to dateBy David Phelan
As reported by 9to5Mac, a developer has stated that the beta version would mean that an updated Bluetooth codec, called LC3, can be enabled for Apple AirPods Max.
Updated June 25th. Another report has just emerged with new information and representations of what the next AirPods Pro might look like. According to 52audio, there are many new features, not just the sound enhancement that is expected below.
The site claims that new information has arrived at 52Audio suggesting an updated H1 chip. Well, that fits the following predictions, so it’s a good start.
But then it becomes much more intriguing. The new chip is said to have active self-adaptive noise cancellation. I’m not sure exactly how it would work, but it suggests that, like some earphones, it adjusts the way it cancels incoming noise depending on whether you’re on the move, on the street, in a room, and so on.
A new Find Mine feature is also planned. This accompanies rumors that the charging box will be able to make noise to make it easier to find.
In previous reports, this has resulted in images of the case with what appears to be a speaker next to it. The new report, however, says the new charging box will have a speaker grille at the bottom and the side area has “multiple openings” that “are added on either side of the USB-C port at the bottom. and two larger openings at the bottom “. right side are protected by a decorative metal structure.
“We also find that the openings on the right side are the microphone for the hearing aid. The sound can be picked up through the charging case and transmitted to the headphones to enhance the sound and play it back, helping people with hearing loss get the ambient sound. The speaker is located at the bottom, which can play the sound itself and works with the “Find Mine” app to help users find the location of the charging box faster.
The hearing loss element is especially interesting, suggesting that rumors that the upcoming AirPods Pro will work as a hearing aid might be correct.
The other big change that is approaching, it is said, is the detection of heart rate. There have been reports of health updates coming to the headphones (with a backup of the comments from an Apple executive) and that would certainly qualify.
Heart rate detection would use data from the inner ear to monitor heart rate and there are also rumors of temperature detection, although the site is less sure if this will happen.
Oh, and the design of the new AirPods Pro will be very similar to the current model, making rumors of a new stemless look.
Let’s go back to the new great codec …
The Apple ShrimpApplePro filter tweeted about the claim, referring to its leak that came L3C.
This would mean that the headset will have better quality voice calls, to begin with. But it also suggests that AirPods Pro 2 could have substantially improved the quality of music playback. The developer was able to enable LC3 (i.e. the low-complexity communication codec) using the beta firmware of AirPods Max.
MORE FORBESiPad Pro 2022 Exclusive: Craig Federighi from Apple details new dazzling featuresBy David Phelan
This is great for voice calls and for Bluetooth stability, but the real increase in quality will probably come with hardware that supports Bluetooth 5.2, which the AirPods Max does not. Which brings us to the AirPods Pro 2, which is the next headset that is expected to launch by Apple.
According to 9to5Mac, the next version of the Apple H1 chip, an audio processor, which could handle Bluetooth 5.2, will be on the upcoming AirPods Pro.
While not a confirmation, the presence in the iPhone 16 software of the iPhone references to LC3 and support for low-power audio support significantly increases the possibility that the next AirPods Pro will have a kind of holy grail for to music lovers: lossless audio.
This is possible from some iPhone models, but not using any existing AirPod. The prospect of lossless audio has been raised by reliable analysts such as Ming-Chi Kuo, and this new evidence reinforces the idea that may come.
The low power part of the equation suggests that battery life will also be improved. Even if it’s not on AirPods Pro 2, this is a great upgrade for AirPods Max. But I think next-generation headphones will see this update.