Spatial audio creates a three-dimensional (3D) virtual auditory space that allows a user wearing a headset to pinpoint where a sound source is located in the 3D virtual auditory space. Today, Apple was granted a patent tiled ""Head-to-Head Rotation Transform Estimation for Head Pose Tracking in Spatial Audio Applications."
Apple is prioritizing Spatial Audio to be available on AirPods Pro, AirPods Max and their future audio systems for a Mixed Reality Headset and more. Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking gives users a theater‑like experience for movies and shows, with sound that surrounds them. Using built-in gyroscopes and accelerometers, AirPods Max and your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV track the subtle motion of your head, anchoring sounds to your device. Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a series of seven major Apple patent applications relating to Spatial Audio that deeply details the science of head motion detection, user posture detection and much more.