Spatial Audio is Apples take on surround sound.
It only works with AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, and only on iPhones or iPads running iOS 14.
And yet, its not only Netflix that is adding support.
Apple
Disney+, and Peacock also support Apples so far mobile-only take on immersive audio.
Something for Everyone
Spatial Audio for movies is a rare case of win, win, win.
And these arent small numbers, either.
Apple
Thats a lot of potential Netflix Spatial-Audio listeners.
It also shows that even a niche Apple product can be a huge market.
Wearables isone of Apples fastest-growing segments, bringing in almost $9 billion in Apples last quarter.
Whats So Special About Spatial Audio?
Spatial Audio recreates movie-theater surround sound in a pair of AirPods.
The gimmick that sets it apart from other headphone surround systems is the “spatial” aspect.
If a character is talking, then the audio appears to come from the screen.
This gives an uncanny sensation of being in a space with fixed audio sources.
It doesnt necessarily make the surround sound more immersive.
Its just that it stops the illusion from breaking whenever you move your head.
Whats In It for You?
For those of us with AirPods Pro or newer, theres zero downside.
Widespread adoption of this feature also all but guarantees that Apple will continue to improve it.
With new features, customers are likely to have additional reasons to purchase the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max.
Conversely, it tends to double down on hits.
But once you get used to their great features and tight integration, its hard to go back.
