At today's "Unleashed" event, Apple revealed what's next for AirPods. The announcement started with a deeper look at Spatial Audio, which is a feature baked into Apple Music with supported hardware. And Apple is expanding that feature.
Along with the beta versions of iOS 15.1 and tvOS 15.1, Apple also seeded the next update for the HomePod lineup. With HomePod software version 15.1, Apple is welcoming back a couple of features that have been in the works for quite some time. Both of which should be welcomed additions to the smart speaker lineup.
A bit of a back-and-forth earlier this year had some folks interested in listening to Netflix content with Spatial Audio support excited for the future -- and then not so much. However, it turns out it was all a bit of misdirection on Netflix's part, because while the streaming company said it wasn't testing support for the feature, the feature is now live anyway.
With the arrival of Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos in Apple Music earlier this year, the expectation was that the feature would work with a variety of different Apple-branded devices right out of the box. And that's certainly the case (especially with Lossless audio quality). But it turns out Apple has had to revise the list of supported devices that support the upgraded listening experience from the built-in speakers.
Earlier this year, Apple Music added two features that have quickly picked up plenty of attention. Lossless quality and Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos. For Apple Music subscribers on Android, however, the wait has been a little longer. It has finally ended, though.
It has already been over two months since Apple announced support for Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and Lossless audio in Apple Music. A month later it actually launched, and now the features are going live in India. It's been a long wait for folks in the region wanting to try these new elements out, but the wait is finally over.
Last month, Apple rolled out Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos for Apple Music, and it works on most Apple devices. Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos offers a surround-sound audio experience when listening to music on Apple Music. The feature will work on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV 4K. You can also play Spatial Audio on the HomePod, but via the Apple TV 4K. As of now, over 20 million tracks support Spatial Audio, and more will be added by the end of this year.
Apple is now testing the latest Apple Music features for its Android client, including support for spatial audio and lossless audio, as well as automatic crossfading and other perks.
Non-Dolby audio encoded in intentional stereo will no longer sound dull with a new feature in Apple's iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS 12 Monterey updates, dubbed “Spatialize Stereo”.
Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos is one of the newest features available for Apple Music subscribers. The best part is that it's free, a boost to the audio experience without boosting the monthly price. Now, Apple's promoting the new feature in a brand new ad.
I can still remember what it was like hauling around a portable CD player with me everywhere I went back in my high school days. That was before MP3s really took off. Forking over money for some worthwhile headphones was worth it back then, maybe even more so than it is today for most use cases. But that digital takeover was inevitable, and, eventually, I was hauling around all sorts of different MP3 players instead of that CD player.
Before Apple got around to officially announcing Dolby Atmos support in Apple Music, along with Lossless Audio, it was the Apple Music Android app that hinted at its impending arrival. But then the rumor mill suggested that app wouldn't get support for the new feature. Now, here we are and Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos is out there in the wild, and Android support is indeed in the works.