In addition to the AirPods headphones, Apple also includes Apple TV, HomePod, and Apple’s HomePod speaker under the Audio and Home section. Along with the update to tvOS 18, the company announced some innovations for the devices at WWDC 2024.
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AirPods: Shake or nod your head
Siri requests can now be answered silently with AirPods. Instead of answering a Siri question with “yes”, users will now be able to shake their head. Conversely, AirPods interpret the head shake as “no”. According to Apple, this feature is for places where you can’t talk loudly.
AirPods Pro aim to transmit voices clearly but block out ambient noise with the “Voice Isolation” function. In game mode, AirPods Pro can now support personalized spatial audio.
tvOS: More info with Insight
Using the Insight function, tvOS displays information appropriate to the scene in series and movies. For example, users can find out which actors are currently appearing or what music is playing in the background. tvOS can now make voices more understandable through AI with the “Enhance Dialogue” function. This feature should work not only on Apple HomePod speakers, but also on built-in TV speakers, AirPods, and other Bluetooth devices or speakers connected via HDMI.
tvOS 18 should now automatically display subtitles at appropriate times, for example when the language of a movie or series differs from the language of the device or when users mute or rewind. In the United States and Canada, Apple TV also displays subtitles when users make a video call on a television using their iPhone’s integrated camera.
watchOS 11: More exercise, more healthtvOS 18 will support the ultra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio in the future, providing an exclusive cinema experience with the right projector and suitable film content.
The update also brings new screensavers like Portrait from the Photo Library. There’s also a special screensaver with Snoopy and Woodstock from Peanuts on board.
Anyone who has a HomePod or HomePod mini can share control of music playback via SharePlay. Users can place an iPhone in front of another iPhone or scan a QR code on another screen to control playback. According to Apple, guests participating in such SharePlay sessions do not need an Apple Music subscription. tvOS 18 supports Apple TV HD (surprisingly from 2015) and 4K across all three generations of 2017, 2021, and 2022.
Apple Home: Guest access, robot vacuum and 3D AirPlay
Apple’s smart home app Home is seeing a number of innovations. Guest access allows you to control door locks, garage doors and alarm systems. Access can be restricted to individual locks, and access can only be granted for a certain period of time if desired. In the future, contactless unlocking will also be possible via ultra-wideband (UWB), so that users can open locks at a distance of only 1.80 meters from the door. For the function called “Express Mode”, users must have a UWB-enabled iPhone or a UWB-enabled Apple Watch, i.e. an iPhone from the 11th or an Apple Watch from Series 6 onwards.
In the future, HomeKit users will be able to see their home’s power consumption in the Home app. Apple is partnering with energy suppliers, starting with Pacific Gas & Electric Company in California. It is unknown when and if this feature will come to Europe.
With the new system, the Home app also supports vacuum cleaner robots, a device category that HomeKit users have wanted for years. Supported models can be added to automations and scenes or activated with voice and Siri.
Apple’s audio streaming protocol AirPlay will also support 3D audio with Dolby Atmos in the future, provided you stream from an iOS device to a HomePod or another compatible speaker.
Developers can install tvOS 18 and iOS 18 betas starting June 10. Apple plans to make public beta versions available starting in July. tvOS 18 and iOS 18 will be released in the fall.
Update June 11, 2024: Added information on contactless unlocking via ultra-wideband for door locks, added information on tvOS 18 compatibility.
(HZ)
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