Apple AirPods: The epitome of wireless engineering behind Apple’s revolutionary earbuds

The ever-evolving landscape of technology has blessed us with the marvel of wireless audio devices that have transformed the way we interact digitally. From humble beginnings to a cutting-edge state of artistry, wireless technology continues to amaze humankind over time.

Anil Naik, former senior engineering product and programme manager at Apple Inc was the Team Lead for wireless performance engineering, and is a testament to the culmination of meticulous engineering, rigorous testing, and a relentless pursuit of excellence in wireless performance. From sensor integration to wireless charging, all these features involved multifaceted roles in the form of strategic direction, competitive benchmarking, H1 chip integration for low latency, Bluetooth expertise, patent filings, proprietary audio codec, methodology improvements, and cross-functional collaboration, and as a team lead, Anil Naik actively contributed to all of these.

These sleek, wire-free earbuds are a symbol of innovation that has combined seamless design, cutting-edge engineering, and a hassle-free user experience to set the benchmark across the industry. Let’s find out more about what goes into creating something like that.

Taking us through the specific functionality of the AirPods, Naik explained how each AirPod connects independently to the device it is paired with using Bluetooth technology. This ensures a stable connection between each earbud and the device. The Apple AirPods have a master-slave configuration, which means that one AirPod (typically the one inserted in-ear first) acts as the primary earbud, while the one inserted in-ear second connects to the primary earbud. The primary earbud communicates directly with the paired device, whereas the secondary earbud receives audio and synchronised information from the primary earbud. This configuration is responsible for synchronized maintenance between the two earbuds, ensuring a consistent audio experience.

Naik further explained that the original Apple AirPods and AirPods Pro both use Apple’s custom-designed W1 or H1 chip, which helps in managing the wireless connection and synchronisation. Additionally, the chip also handles the pairing process, audio processing, battery management, and other wireless functions. The tight integration between hardware and software allows for optimised power usage, contributing to extended playback time of up to five hours, which is much higher than that of competitors. To keep both earphones in sync with each other, Apple uses a technology called Near Field Magnetic Induction (NFMI). This technology enables a low-power communication link between the two earbuds and also ensures that audio playback, volume adjustments, and other features are consistent between them.

Naik also discussed with us that each AirPod has built-in accelerometers with optical sensors that detect when they are in your ears and whether you have taken them out. These sensors are responsible for pausing playback when an earbud is removed and resuming when it is put back in. These sensors also contribute to the synchronisation between the two earbuds by ensuring that they know when both of them are being worn.

We are already familiar with the front end of some of these functions, but Naik dived deeper into the technological aspect and mentioned that the H1 chip’s innovations extended to the ability to automatically pair and switch between devices associated with the same iCloud account. This eliminated the need for manual pairing and made the transition between devices effortless.

As per Naik, all these features are crucial for delivering a seamless stereo audio experience and ensuring that the user hears the same content in both ears simultaneously.

The AirPods facilitated the inception of the wireless technology that has today found its application in a plethora of consumer electronics. With all the ongoing innovation, the future of this technology promises to be even more exciting. Whether it is going for a simple morning jog, working from home, or even meditating, we just need to stay tuned in to experience the best of it all.

Nandini Khandelwal is a business journalist.

• KT Network