WWDC 2024: AirPods will let you answer calls by nodding via Siri

A new audio experience coming to iPhone.
By Meera Navlakha  on 
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A man standing in a crowded elevator.
Credit: Screenshot: Apple / YouTube.

Apple has announced some major updates at WWDC today, including new audio features that could be game-changing for AirPod users.

Airpods will now be able to respond to nonverbal gestures, such as nodding or shaking your head, allowing users to employ those movements quickly.

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Apple provided a quick demo of what this would look like, featuring an actor in a crowded elevator, shaking his head to an incoming call so that he did not have to respond aloud to Siri. The idea is that people can respond privately and discreetly, with a new "hands-free experience".

The tech giant also introduced Voice Isolation coming to AirPods Pro, allowing people to isolate and enhance audio quality while also removing background noise for the listener on the other end. Finally, Apple is updating the audio experience when it comes to gaming, with a new Spatial Audio API which will apply to AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max. Apple is calling this the "best wireless audio latency" for gaming yet.

Apple AirPods (3rd Generation)
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Topics AirPods Apple WWDC

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Meera Navlakha
Culture Reporter

Meera is a Culture Reporter at Mashable, joining the UK team in 2021. She writes about digital culture, mental health, big tech, entertainment, and more. Her work has also been published in The New York Times, Vice, Vogue India, and others.


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