Everyone’s abuzz about the latest iPhone 15, which was released on Sept. 22.
The latest iPhone offers a slick new set of features, and with the top-of-the-line iPhone 15 Pro Max retailing for $1,199, it should.
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Some of those new upgrades include an updated (even stronger) camera, improved battery life, and new titanium frame. The new phones also include a brand new USB-C charging port for added convenience and to appease European Union regulators, so proprietary Apple (AAPL) – Get Free Report lightning charger enthusiasts will have to prolong their upgrade or simply get with the times.
But while most people are talking about the latest iPhones, Apple’s been quietly upgrading other beloved tech accessories with less pomp and circumstance.
One of those upgrades has been, of course, the subsequent release of iOS 17, which allows users to update lock screen preferences, leave FaceTime video messages, and add stickers to photos.
But Apple’s beloved AirPod Pros also received an update, and some of the new features may just change the way you listen to music (or block out excess noise) – if you know where to find them.
SHANGHAI, CHINA – SEPTEMBER 24, 2023 – Customers experience the newly launched iPhone 15 series at Apple’s flagship store in Shanghai, China, September 24, 2023. Apple launched the Trade In program – with the previous generation (iPhone 11 to 14 series) model upgrade can be discounted to 1,200 to 6,900 yuan discount, attracting many consumers to consult and purchase. (Photo credit should read CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
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Apple gives AirPod Pros an update
Though it doesn’t expressly break out AirPod sales, Apple brought in $41.1 billion revenue from its Wearables, Home, and Accessories segment in 2022. Given that AirPods is one of its best – if not the best – selling accessory, it’s safe to speculate that Apple is putting a lot of time and energy into making the tiny buds the best they can be.
The AirPods Pro didn’t get a major upgrade in terms of hardware or aesthetics. Instead, Apple engineers paid more attention to the software side of things, adding subtle tweaks here and there that should improve the listening experience mightily.
The first update is Adaptive Audio, which is similar to Apple’s Adaptive Transparency feature (which muffles and dulls background noise), with some improvements.
“Adaptive audio is a little bit slower over the course of a few seconds, because it’s meant to be a much more methodical process to know what you’re listening to,” Apple Product Marketing Director Eric Treski told Tech Crunch. “We’re going from Adaptive Audio into transparency, so — in order to make it less jarring and more comfortable — it’s much more purposely slower for that reason.”
That’s happening on different levels, depending on where you are and what you’re listening to. So if you’re listening to a podcast, your music app might indicate so and adjust your audio settings accordingly to maximize listening experience.
“Of course, your house is not always quiet and the streets are not always loud. We decided that, instead of relying on a location hint from the phone, the AirPods monitor your environment in real time and make those decisions intelligently on their own,” VP of Sensing and Connectivity Ron Huang said.
It’s a complicated process, but essentially, most of that optimization relies on a lot of data gathering.
“We took tens of thousands of hours of different data — different users listening to different content and with different background noise — to really understand different listening preferences, and what are distractors and aggressors from a noise standpoint to keep your content really clear,” Huang said. “We also remember your personal preferences. Given a type of environment, the amount of noise there, how loud you typically listen to your content, and remember it for you. We add it to our machine learning model to make it work even better for you.”
And speaking of audio updates, the AirPods Pro also got another feature for changing environments: Conversational Awareness. AirPods will sense when you (the wearer) are speaking, and turn down your audio so you can have an easier conversation without having to fumble for a pause or volume toggle.
Other improvements include the speed at which it takes your iPhone to connect to your AirPods when you pick up a call.
“A phone call is more important than music, so when you’re answering a phone call, we make sure we take the route away from the iPhone and connect with your Mac for the conference call, for example,” Huang explained.
