Apple is bringing several audio upgrades to its second-gen AirPods Pro this fall that are intended to more seamlessly block out noise as well as alert you to things you may want to hear.
Adaptive Audio, previewed during Monday's WWDC 2023 keynote, will intelligently blend the earbuds' existing noise cancellation and transparency modes based on your surroundings, letting you hear the audio you want and block out unwanted background noise. Say, for example, you're listening to a favorite playlist during a stroll: You can stride at ease knowing you'll hear car honks or bike bells but not the chorus of lawn mowers and weed whackers in your neighborhood.
A new Personalized Volume feature, meanwhile, uses machine learning to interpret different environmental sounds over time and automatically adjust your audio for personalized listening.
Finally, Conversation Awareness is for those moments when someone comes over to talk while your favorite playlist or podcast is playing at full volume in your ear. Just start talking and your AirPods will automatically lower your device’s volume and enhance the voices in front of you while reducing background noise. So if you run into a neighbor during your walk, you can start a conversation while still blocking out the sound of those lawnmowers.
Apple also promises improved device-switching capabilities. It was light on details, but says "the connection time between a user’s Apple devices is significantly faster and more reliable" as you switch from listening to music on the iPhone to taking a call on the Mac, for example.
While on that call, the update will let you mute and unmute yourself by pressing the stem on the AirPods. In addition to the second-gen AirPods Pro, this feature will also roll out to first-gen AirPods Pro, third-gen AirPods, and AirPods Max. (On the Max, press the digital crown.)
Developers get their hands on these new features this week. An official rollout is expected this fall alongside iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma. Watch them in action at the 57-minute mark in the video below.