Apple’s custom silicon brings innovative capabilities to the latest AirPods Pro 2, enhancing your audio experience.
iOS 17 is fast approaching, and with it, a slew of new features for your Apple devices. While iPhone users eagerly await the September 12 event, there’s another exciting development on the horizon. iOS 17 promises to introduce a host of fresh features to AirPods, and it’s all made possible by Apple’s cutting-edge silicon technology.
Apple Silicon: Powering the Future of AirPods
If you’re a seasoned Apple user, the term “Apple silicon” may ring familiar. This isn’t a recent innovation; Apple has been crafting custom chips for its products for over a decade. The journey began with the groundbreaking A4 chip, designed for the iPhone 4 and the original iPad. Fast forward to the present, and Apple has an entire family of silicon, including the S-series for Apple Watch and M-series for iPads and Macs. Many people would be surprised to learn that Apple also creates its own audio processors just for AirPods.These custom audio chips are the driving force behind some of the earbuds’ most impressive features.
Evolution of AirPods’ Audio Chips
First-Generation AirPods (2016) debuted with the W1 chip, a groundbreaking addition that enabled automatic pairing, truly wireless connectivity, and impressive battery efficiency. The W1 chip also found its way into select Beats headphones.
Second-Generation AirPods arrived with the H1 chip, an upgrade over the W1. Featuring Bluetooth 5.0, it improved device-switching speed, reduced latency, and enhanced connection speeds for calls, streaming, and gaming. Moreover, AirPods with the H1 chip introduced the convenience of activating Siri through voice commands, along with improved battery life.
The H2 Chip: Elevating AirPods Pro 2
The second-generation AirPods Pro, launched in late 2022, showcased the H2 chip. This latest Apple Silicon addition brought substantial improvements to Spatial Audio, active noise-canceling, and transparency modes. Notably, the H2 chip employs computational audio algorithms tailored to your unique ear shape when using Personalized Spatial Audio.
iOS 17 Unveils New AirPods Pro 2 Features
With iOS 17, the second-generation AirPods Pro harness the power of the H2 chip to deliver exciting new features:
- Adaptive Audio: A blend of active noise-canceling and transparency mode that adjusts based on environmental conditions.
- Conversation Awareness: Recognizes when you’re speaking and enhances voices while lowering music volume.
- Personalized Volume: Utilizes machine learning to adapt your AirPods’ sound profile.
These three remarkable features are exclusive to AirPods Pro 2 and are made possible by the advanced capabilities of the H2 chip.
For frequent AirPods Pro users, these upcoming features, set to debut in the fall, promise to be game-changers, all thanks to the presence of Apple Silicon in these earbuds.
