WWDC 2020: iOS 14 update will address AirPods battery problems and more

Earlier this week, Apple was praised for the level of quality evident in their presentation for WWDC 2020. Tech pundits and consumers alike were reportedly impressed as to how the team behind the show was able to pull it off amid the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Equally remarkable was what the developers had in store for users on iPadOS, macOS, and iOS. On top of the new features iOS 14 brings to the table, it appears that the AirPods will purportedly benefit from the changes.

True wireless Bluetooth earbuds such as the AirPods and AirPods Pro are designed to be compact alternatives to regular headphones or wired earphones. Aside from being lightweight, ergonomic, and innovative, it does suffer from battery issues. As such, iOS 14 has been designed to optimise the battery management system of Apple's popular audio platform, as noted by AppleInsider.

Just like many modern devices, the batteries are non-removable, which means that in case of failure, the AirPods must be serviced by an accredited technician. On the other hand, out of warranty units means paying a premium price for a replacement. One of the commonly reported problems is overcharging, which will be finally addressed by iOS 14 with the help of machine learning.

While most gadgets that have integrated batteries come with overcharge protection, but there are instances wherein this fails. The system monitors the usage pattern of the user to determine when the AirPods are likely to be used. These are automatically flagged by the system wherein it will never charge it beyond 80 percent. An example given illustrates that it will allow a full charge approximately an hour before the owner normally uses the Bluetooth earphones.

Aside from the battery, iOS 14 also includes some changes that will enhance the sound output of the AirPods Pro. It can apparently support surround sound, which improves the acoustic experience when watching movies or TV series. With the help of the accelerometer and gyroscope of the iPhone or iPad, the system uses an advanced algorithm to adjust the audio accordingly. Multimedia content that has been encoded with Dolby Atmos 5.1, and 7.1 are apparently compatible.