Apple’s “Glowtime” keynote event happened just yesterday, and I’ve already been speculating about their many announcements. Of course, the main talking point was the iPhone 16, but there’s also the new AirPods 4 which plays a part in Apple’s new audio upgrades. With new additions to spatial audio listening and recording, Apple is set to redefine the listening experience for its users. Let’s dive into what these new features can mean for your everyday audio experience.
iPhone 16: An Overview of Audio Enhancements
There is a lot to take in from Apple’s announcement of the iPhone 16, but its audio capabilities are the biggest standout for the audio nerds out there. With its new features, Apple wants the iPhone 16 to be a significant leap in audio technology. Their engineers have focused on refining audio performance to create a more immersive listening experience. In terms of playback, not much has changed with Apple’s hi-res capabilities. You can expect continuous support for ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) and spatial audio, but where the iPhone 16 takes its biggest improvements is audio recording.
Audio Mix is a new feature for recording videos, where you can now isolate background sounds and increase the clarity of voices. Apple is touting “studio-level quality,” with its goal to mimic sound-dampened rooms. The iPhone 16 wants to act like your go-to mic for recording professional video content, whether you’re a podcaster, vlogger, or sound recordist. Could the iPhone 16 replace my Shure SM7B? Probably not, but Apple still wants to make it easier to have an all-in-one studio in your pocket. These new mics also allow you to capture spatial audio at your fingertips, which could have more implications for the future of video content.
Apple AirPods 4
Along with the iPhone 16 was the announcement of the AirPod 4. These are replacing the current AirPods 2 with its price point. There’s a version with and without ANC that will support adaptive audio with the iPhone 16. This enables automatic noise control across different environments for the best listening experience possible.
