Beats has announced that iOS 13’s audio sharing feature will be available on all Beats-branded headphones with an Apple H1 or Apple W1 chip starting September 23. This includes the BeatsX, Beats Solo 3 Wireless, Beats Studio 3 Wireless, and Powerbeats 3 Wireless. However, the Powerbeats Pro has been supported since the release of iOS 13 for the iPhone on September 19.
Available for iPhone 8 and later, audio sharing lets you connect two pairs of headphones to the same iPhone. The result is the option to watch a movie or stream a song with a friend, without having to sacrifice an earbud or carry around a splitter. They don’t have to be loyal to the Beats brand, either — the feature is also compatible with both the Apple AirPods and Apple AirPods 2.
Wireless audio sharing isn’t a new idea, though. Far from it, in fact. It’s been available on Android (under the Dual Audio moniker) ever since the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus hit the shelves back in 2017. Since then, it’s been a staple feature on almost all smartphones with Bluetooth 5.0 on board. So as usual, Apple is fashionably late to the party.
Aside from Audio Sharing, iOS 13 brings a number of exciting new features to the table. The highlights include a much-requested system-wide dark mode; Apple’s Quickpath keyboard, which lets you swipe to type faster, similar to how Google’s Gboard works; and a new ‘Sign in with Apple’ privacy feature that allows you to log in to websites using your Apple ID.
Obviously, to take advantage of the feature you’ll need an iPhone (again, an iPhone 8 or later) running iOS 13. If you’re still yet to install it on your handset, you’re in luck — we’ve put together a neat little guide that’ll walk you through the entire process. Just keep in mind you’ll need a stable Wi-Fi connection and at least 50% charge to proceed with the upgrade.
Unfortunately, there’s still no word on whether audio sharing will be available for headphones from manufacturers that aren’t using the Apple H1 or Apple W1 chip. Seeing as the feature is mainly reliant on Bluetooth 5.0 (hence why it’s not available for models older than the iPhone 8), there’s no real reason it shouldn’t be. Then again, Apple likes to keep things exclusive.
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