AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) are set to receive a noteworthy software upgrade with the arrival of iOS 17 later this year. At its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple announced that its latest truly wireless stereo (TWS) earphones will gain a new feature called Adaptive Audio that can intelligently analyze users’ environment to adjust transparency mode and active noise cancellation (ANC) settings, without any input. It can blend both modes together based on users interacting with their environment over the course of a day, according to the company.
During the WWDC 2023 keynote event, Ron Huang, Apple VP for Sensing and Connectivity, announced that the second-generation AirPods Pro would gain support for Adaptive Audio, a feature that dynamically blends both ANC and transparency mode. This mixed mode will allow users to shut off background noise, while important sounds like horns and bells will continue to alert them.
Apple says that it will use personalized volume controls based on machine learning trained on users’ listening preferences over time, in combination with the Adaptive Audio feature that uses both ANC and transparency mode, to offer a better experience while listening to music and podcasts.
AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) will be updated with another feature: Conversation Awareness. When music is playing on the AirPods, the feature will detect when users are speaking and automatically lower the media volume, reduce background sounds, and focus on the voices of people facing them.
In addition, adaptive Audio will also block external noise while users are on a phone call, allowing them to hear other participants without distraction. Users can also mute themselves with a pinch gesture. Automatically switching an AirPods connection between different Apple devices will also become more seamless later this year, according to the company.
