Airpods under iOS 26: Is the “studio” quality really there? Our lab reveals the truth

During WWDC 2025, Apple announced the deployment of new features for Airpods Pro 2THE Ancient Airpods 4 and Airpods 4. These optimizations are expected for the start of the 2025 school year at the world deployment of iOS 26, but the apple brand already offers Apple Developer Program to try them thanks to an update.

If your Apple account is configured in developer mode, you should be able to download the beta of iOS 26 from the settings menu> software update. Then just pair your airpods as usual, then authorize the download of the pre-version of their firmware (8A279D) in their dedicated menu, always within the iOS adjustment app. The update is done discreetly when the AirPods are in their box and placed near the smartphone.

After waiting for a few minutes, several pop-ups appear to inform us of the new capacities of the headphones. Among them, there is an automatic pause function if the headphones consider that the user is asleep, notifications that alert when their battery needs to be recharged, or the possibility of taking photos remotely from a simple press on the tactile controls of the stems.

Announced by Apple as improving the intelligibility of telephone calls and as a tool for content creators, the quality of “studio” recording is missing at first. It is necessary to go to the dictaphone app to see a pop-up announcing the famous voice improvement technology. As a bonus, we also notice the possibility of recording our voice in space audio.

Now modular voice isolation in the dictaphone app

In order to test this brand new voice capture reserved for Apple’s ecosystem, we compared recordings made in the Dictaphone app with iPhone under iOS 18 and under the beta of iOS 26.

First of all, to place the two bones on an equal footing, we took care to activate the voice isolation from the Dictaphone control center. Indeed, the beta of iOS 26 deactivates the noise reduction of native microphones. iOS 18, it only allows us to deactivate voice isolation in the phone, FaceTime, etc. apps, etc.

With iOS 26, Apple therefore offers the possibility of making recordings with the AirPods while retaining ambient noises on the same level as our voice. A novelty that is not without interest, knowing that isolation of the voice is well known for creating sound artefacts and affecting the quality of our voice in noisy environment.

An improvement in the subtle voice with iOS 26 … in a calm context

With isolation of the activated voice, a palpable, but subtle difference, is felt between iOS 18 and iOS 26. In a calm environment, indoors and outdoors, the tone of our voice is more natural with iOS 26. The treble is better managed, detailed, without being too incisive, while the serious components well preserved. With iOS 18, our voice adopts a slightly more nasal appearance.

In addition, we note the almost total absence of background artefacts with iOS 26, while iOS 18 remains subject to this phenomenon. Compared to a mono recording, the new spatial audio mode of the dictaphone app seems to slightly increase the width of the sound scene and the amplitude of our voice, without distorting it.

With iOS 26, in a quiet place outdoors, the noise reduction algorithm does a remarkable job to obscure any ambient atmosphere. The signal is also less disturbed than before, with a better transition between the silences and the beginnings of our sentences.

On the outskirts of a tricolor fire, when several heavy goods vehicles start simultaneously, the quality of “studio” recording of Apple does not do miracles. The signal is stronger and less suffocated than with iOS 18, but jerks on the words pronounced quickly or poorly articulated persist. The quality of the signal also leaves something to be desired with audible saturations on high frequencies.

In short, Apple seems to be in the process of significantly improving the quality of capture of the AirPods with iOS 26. Those that it matters will be able to make recordings not disturbed by isolation of the voice, while the others will continue to isolate their voice while benefiting from a more natural tone.

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