Apple announced two audio features earlier this year that, though niche, will have some users very excited. Though it looks like we’ll be waiting a little longer to give either one a try.
The iOS Podcasts app was redesigned in iOS 14.6, partly to accommodate a new type of premium subscription that creators can now offer to listeners. Fans of a podcast can support it with an in-app subscription that can unlock all kinds of exclusive content.
However, Apple has now said it’s delaying the release of this feature until June – no specific date – to give creators more time to get things up and running. So if you were wondering where the new paid ‘casts were after reading our news report about the update, now you know what happened.
As for Apple Music, the lossless audio upgrade is also due sometime in June. Apple has clarified that HomePod and HomePod mini will be compatible with the lossless files after an upcoming software update – but AirPods, AirPods Pro, and even the $549 AirPods Max won’t be able to play the new high-fidelity tracks.
That’s due to a limitation in wireless technology; no Bluetooth headset in the world is capable of transmitting lossless audio. AirPods Max will sound close to perfect when connected via a cable, but Apple says the analog-to-digital translation means technically it’s not quite lossless.
All this means the recent iOS 14.6 update is really more of a scene-setter, laying the foundations of new features rather than releasing them immediately.
It’s been a bit of a trend this year, come to think of it – Apple announcing something and then being vague about its actual release date. Let’s hope WWDC’s announcements next month come with a few more specifics.