iOS 16’s customizable spatial audio was featured at Apple’s event on Wednesday. After installing iOS 12 on your iPhone on September 12, you’ll be able to create a custom sound profile to improve AirPods’ spatial audio experience.
Apple’s TrueDepth front-facing camera scans ears for personalization. Holding your iPhone 10 to 20 cm from your head takes less than a minute.
What’s New?
Your ear shape is used to improve spatial audio. Apple’s Mary-Ann Rau said in the keynote that head and ear size affect sound perception.
Tuned sounds in personalized spatial audio create an immersive listening experience. Apple isn’t first. Sony offers “360 Reality Audio” for Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, and Nugs.net.
Sony and Apple are trying to detect ear shape and tailor spatial audio processing to folds and contours. Maintain 3D audio and eliminate audio anomalies.
Sony’s Chloe Canta Said In June
Sound entering the left and right ears can be used to determine spatial sound sources. Head and ear shape affect the sound. This technology replicates the ear’s sound environment through headphones.
Sony’s strategy is unsettling. iOS installs AirPods. To customize Sony’s sound field, utilize the Headphones Connect app and your phone’s camera.
What’s More?
Sony’s servers examine and store these photographs for 30 days for internal research and feature enhancements. During this window, your ear photographs aren’t linked to you.
Apple’s ear-scanning isn’t ideal. During the iOS 16 beta, several noted the method is tedious and misses an ear. I think there’s no straightforward way to assess ear shape.
The Arduous Effort Pays Rewards
Personalized profiles often make a considerable difference and improve spatial audio perception. The TrueDepth camera captures a depth map of your head and ear, much like Face ID.
Once you establish a personalized spatial audio profile on an iPhone, it will sync across your other Apple devices, including Macs and iPads.
Digging Into More Details
Starting in October, you’ll require macOS and iPadOS updates to sync. Third-generation AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max feature personalized spatial audio.
Apple has never claimed firsts with tailored spatial audio. The company’s management has said its goal is to execute key features well, even if others, like Sony, are moving in that direction.
