June 1st, 2024
I am attempting to build my own live listen tool that will use the airpod’s mic to share sound between two airpods like a Bluetooth intercom. I don’t think its possible using flutter but maybe somewhere in swift, I might be able to access some sort of API and find a way to do this.
First bit of way to an existing product that does this:
Hear Boost app works. Somehow it can route the airpods microphone voice back to the airpods. Its kind of magical that it even works — I thought that Apple would not allow this. But here’s an issue — so the airpods/earphone microphone can be used as a microphone but it is only used one microphone at any given time — I think it could be because of how the airpods is designed to use only one microphone.
Some answers on streaming microphone input back into the earphone:
Note: 2011 answer, outdated.
The problem of airpods only using one airpod’s microphone at a time.
This will throw the entire idea into the dustbin since if there is no way to stream both microphone sound back into the earphone, there is no way intercommunication is possible.
I think it is not possible to use two airpods as a separate live listen communication even though the software part is solvable. The airpods hardware is not designed to use both airpods’ mics simultaneously. I think we will have to look towards a more local connection method of duplex voice sharing solution.
But a problem is the hotspot module for mobile devices are not strong enough for a long range intercommunication. Airpods has a good enough long range communication.
airpods range = 800 ft ~ 250 m (sounds about right)
The Apple W1 chip is a SoC from Apple used in their wireless AirPods and a select variety of Beats headphones. It maintains a Bluetooth Class 1 connection with a computer device and decodes the audio stream that is sent to it.
Range for a class 1 Bluetooth connection depends on the versions of bluetooth.
BT 3 - 10 meters (33 ft)
BT 4 - 60 meters (200 ft)
BT 5 - 240 meters (800 ft)
If your device is BT 3, you only get 33 feet. If you have a iPhone X, you get 800 feet…. Well that is if the AirPods are BT 5. I’m still looking all over for the version of BT in the AirPods / W1. So far all I can find is Bluetooth technology for the AirPods and the W1, no version number.
One possible open source link from where I can begin a research is this:
Reddit chat