Ever felt like your AirPods just aren’t cutting it for your call audio? You’re not alone. After years of alleged call quality issues landing in air traffic control, it looks like Apple is finally addressing the issue head-on with a new firmware update. As exciting as that sounds, we don’t know if this will roll out to all generations of AirPods, or if it will only work with newer models like the AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2.
AirPods owners have often highlighted the issues they experience when it comes to answering calls through their earbuds, with many comparing them to conversations sounding ‘underwater’. With the new AirPods beta firmware, Apple is aiming to fix that, with an update that should promote clearer audio quality when the microphone is turned on during calls – as first reported by our friends at I more.
Although not yet widely rolled out, the latest beta version of the Mac and AirPods firmware has been spotted by users @hrolnd on X (formerly Twitter), where he shared a short video of his findings. Roland went on to say that Apple achieved the improved AirPods call quality by maintaining the same 48000kHz sampling rate when the microphone is used in headset mode, saying it would be a “game changer” when introduced to the iPhone.
Holy shit you guys weren’t kidding, the latest Mac + Airpods firmware beta is black magic Apple has figured out how to maintain the same 48000kHz sample rate WITH THE MIC IN USE in headset mode no more drops in air traffic control audio quality. When it comes to the iPhone, this is a game changer pic.twitter.com/J2MY2S2KFxJuly 2, 2024
His video goes a step further, showing how Apple uniquely handles codec switching when the microphone is enabled. A recent Headphones The report notes that some users believe this could be proprietary hardware, but another user on X, @gssp_accquoted Roland’s post, but suggested it has more to do with clever engineering (read: reducing the stereo inputs to a mono input, thus reducing the three-channel setup to two).
Smart design, no black magicThey swapped the stereo inputs for a mono input, reducing the total number of channels from 3 (2in, 1out) to 2 (1in, 1out) https://t.co/ptet88hgLhJuly 2, 2024
Despite a few minor firmware glitches that Roland pointed out, there’s no doubt that this update will significantly improve the Bluetooth calling experience once it becomes available for iPhones.
Analysis: Call quality is the new focus
In 2015, Onkyo released its W800BT earbuds, which were widely regarded as the first true wireless earbuds. Having a single microphone in each earbud was considered revolutionary at the time, but these days most wireless earbuds often feature the standard three beamforming microphones per earbud, which help handle features like active noise cancellation and ambient sound functions using patented anti-phase technology. This phase cancellation can reduce background noise, amplify your voice, and cancel out wind interference – all of which helps improve Bluetooth call quality.
We’ve noticed a sharp increase in interest when it comes to call quality in the best wireless earbuds. As a result, we’re adding methodology sections to our reviews and buying guides here at TechRadar. This means we now run dedicated microphone tests where we record our own voices to get an idea of how well a set of earbuds can capture and transmit spoken word.
In recent news, Apple AirPods have been officially declared “vintage.” This classification generally occurs when an Apple product hasn’t been sold in five years or more. But for the remaining (admittedly outdated) current AirPods lineup, finally fixing that “underwater” call quality would certainly extend their lifespan. And with Amazon Prime Day 2024 just around the corner, a good pair of AirPods might still be worth a shot.
