AirPods Are About to Get Smarter

[Shola joshua]

With Apple’s big WWDC event right around the corner (kicking off June 9), most of the buzz is around iOS 19, macOS updates, and all the usual suspects. But if you’re an AirPods fan like me, there’s something extra to get excited about—some seriously cool new features may be coming to our earbuds.

According to a report from 9to5Mac, Apple is working on five new features for AirPods, and honestly, a few of them sound pretty game-changing.

First up: new head gestures. If you’re using AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods 4, you’re probably already familiar with being able to nod or shake your head to answer or dismiss calls. Apple is apparently expanding that! Soon, you might be able to use a simple head movement to end a “Conversation Awareness” volume shift and return to your normal settings. No tapping or swiping needed—just a tilt of the head.

Then there’s Camera Control—this one’s wild. You’ll reportedly be able to snap a photo using the stem of your AirPods, as long as your iPhone or iPad is paired. Imagine lining up a group shot and clicking the shutter with your ear. Feels futuristic, right?

Another handy addition is sleep auto-pause. Basically, if you fall asleep with your AirPods in (guilty!), your music or podcast will pause automatically. Perfect for us bedtime listeners.

They’re also working on improving Audio Mix, a feature that uses machine learning to separate voices from background noise. It first appeared with the iPhone 16 series, and now Apple is aiming to bring that same “studio-quality” feel to AirPods—though details are still a bit scarce.

And for those in shared spaces like classrooms, there’s good news: Apple’s trying to simplify AirPods pairing with shared iPads. That could mean fewer steps and a much smoother experience when devices are passed around.

If Apple unveils all this next week at WWDC, it’ll be a big moment for AirPods users. Personally, I’m most excited about the camera control—makes you wonder how far we are from fully gesture-based tech.

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