Apple is set to unveil exciting new features for its AirPods during the upcoming WWDC event. According to 9to5Mac, the announcement will take place next Monday at the Keynote on the first day of the conference. One of the significant enhancements includes new head gestures for AirPods users, allowing them to nod or tilt their heads to take or refuse phone calls, as well as manage notifications without using their hands. This builds on existing features introduced in the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4.
In addition to gesture controls, a new feature aimed at Conversation Awareness is in development. This enhancement will permit users to maintain audio adjustments while engaged in a conversation, extending the time before the AirPods revert to their original noise control settings. Currently, users must press the AirPods stem to end the adjustments, but soon, a simple head gesture might suffice. Conversation Awareness is designed to help users hear conversations more clearly by lowering media volume and minimizing background noise.
Another intriguing feature on the horizon is sleep detection. This technology could work synergistically with the Apple Watch, pausing playback when it detects that the user is sleeping. Additionally, AirPods may soon support camera control, allowing users to take photos remotely with an iPhone or iPad by tapping the AirPods stem. Improvements in pairing AirPods with iPads are also expected, which could greatly benefit classroom environments where multiple users share devices.
Furthermore, a new microphone mode for AirPods is being explored, targeting content creators who seek high-quality sound for their recordings. This could potentially link to the “Audio Mix” feature in the upcoming iPhone 16, enhancing audio quality by separating background noise from the user’s voice. As always, some features might change or be scrapped before the WWDC Keynote, which begins at 10 am PDT on June 9th. This year, Apple is expected to shift its focus from AI to major updates across its operating systems, including a new naming format that replaces version numbers with the last two digits of the current year.
This means iOS 19 will be referred to as iOS 26, along with similar changes for iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS.