At its annual WWDC, Apple traditionally announces new versions of its operating systems. This time, there’s a somewhat hidden piece of news concerning Apple AirPlay.
Often, so much is announced at Apple’s annual developer conference (WWDC) that smaller details get overlooked. One of these smaller, but potentially interesting details for audio enthusiasts is that Apple AirPlay will get support for Dolby Atmos. And by this, we mean more universal support. Until now, Atmos via AirPlay was only possible through a HomePod. Starting with the upcoming new versions of Apple’s operating systems (iOS/iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia), Dolby Atmos can also be achieved through AirPlay connections to other devices. The only requirement, of course, is that the device in question must support AirPlay and have a Dolby Atmos decoder onboard.
Which devices and/or smart speakers will support this feature is currently unknown. We’ll have to wait until the fall of this year when the final versions of the mentioned operating systems are rolled out, and things will undoubtedly become much clearer.