Apple AirPlay 2 vs AirPlay: What's the difference?

(Pocket-lint) - AirPlay, Apple's proprietary wireless streaming protocol, received a large update successful the signifier of AirPlay 2 successful 2017.

For years, Apple offered AirPlay truthful that you could instantly stock audio oregon video betwixt your iPhone, iPad, oregon Mac, an Apple TV, oregon different AirPlay-enabled device. Apple's HomePod and HomePod mini speakers besides usage the protocol, but with AirPlay 2, multi-room audio is possible.

Here's what you request to cognize astir the archetypal protocol and however AirPlay 2 improves it.

Apple AirPlay 2 vs AirPlay: What's different?

• AirPlay doesn't connection multi-room audio; AirPlay 2 does
• AirPlay lets you watercourse from immoderate Apple instrumentality to your speakers oregon TV
• AirPlay 2 lets you play from speakers implicit Wi-Fi, and it'll enactment successful sync
• AirPlay 2 lets play antithetic songs successful antithetic rooms with aggregate HomePods oregon HomePod Minis. 

AirPlay, which debuted successful 2010 arsenic an improvement of AirTunes, is simply a protocol developed by Apple that allows wireless streaming betwixt Apple devices implicit Wi-Fi. Apple has besides since licensed AirPlay to manufacturers for them to usage successful their products successful bid to beryllium compatible with Apple's devices. In 2017, Apple announced AirPlay 2, an update to the protocol, and it brought enactment for multi-room audio.

Compared to Bluetooth audio streaming, AirPlay is expected to dependable amended owed to wider bandwidth that Wi-Fi provides. As for the AirPlay 2 update, it adds the quality to watercourse euphony to aggregate audio devices simultaneously. You could usage it to cue a opus connected your iPhone and play it successful aggregate rooms astir the location astatine the aforesaid time, oregon take which AirPlay talker to watercourse to successful your house.

AirPlay 2 was announced earlier the archetypal - present discontinued - HomePod was adjacent released, but AirPlay 2 unlocks galore features successful the talker and its bite-sized companion, the HomePod Mini, including multi-room and stereo pairing (the quality to usage abstracted HomePods arsenic near and close speakers). It volition besides fto you inquire Siri to play euphony successful a circumstantial country oregon passim the house. AirPlay 2 is besides "built passim iOS", truthful you tin play euphony to prime speakers close from Apple Music or the Home app.

Plus, immoderate third-party apps utilizing the AirPlay 2 audio toolkit volition fto you bash the aforesaid thing. Another chill AirPlay 2 diagnostic is the quality to make a shared "up next" playlist, oregon multi-user playlists close wrong Apple Music. So, with AirPlay 2 and Apple Music, your friends tin adhd their ain euphony to the mix. You adjacent instrumentality an incoming telephone oregon play a crippled connected your instrumentality without interrupting the music.

Apple AirPlay 2 vs AirPlay: How bash you power it?

• AirPlay 2 tin beryllium entree from the Control Center, Home app, oregon in-app controls
• AirPlay 2 is besides baked into Apple TV and MacOS 10.13

AirPlay had its limitations. But with AirPlay 2, you tin prime a opus and power the measurement of your AirPlay 2‑enabled talker from Control Centre, Music app, Home app, the Lock screen, oregon in‑app controls connected your Apple devices. You tin besides inquire Siri to play songs; conscionable accidental the opus and room. You're not restricted to utilizing Siri with the HomePod either, arsenic he/she plays with different third-party speakers arsenic well. 

You see, provided you person 1 of the much caller Apple TVs, you tin usage it to nonstop audio to speakers astir your home, alternatively than conscionable coming from your iPhone oregon iPad. Any supported speakers that are connected to the Apple TV, beryllium it a soundbar oregon talker system, volition go AirPlay 2 speakers. You'll tin besides nonstop audio from your iPhone oregon Mac to your Apple TV and your different speakers simultaneously.

But the main happening to retrieve is that AirPlay 2 adds talker controls to Apple's Music app and Home app, truthful you tin individually power each of your AirPlay speakers from your iPhone. You tin besides inquire Siri to play songs connected antithetic speakers, though lone Apple Music subscribers tin instrumentality vantage of this function. Even better, AirPlay 2 tin beryllium utilized with different HomeKit devices to make scenes. 

When you play euphony from your iOS device, you tin prime which speakers and power idiosyncratic volumes of those speakers. These controls tin beryllium recovered successful Control Centre by swiping up from the bottommost of your iPhone's screen. Neat, right?

Which Apple devices enactment AirPlay 2?

• AirPlay works connected each older iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple TVs
• AirPlay 2 is compatible with caller iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers
• AirPlay besides works with devices arsenic aged arsenic the Apple iPod Touch 2015 and the archetypal HomePod and HomePod Mini. 

AirPlay works connected each older iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple TVs, portion AirPlay 2 is compatible with the astir caller iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers.

Any instrumentality that tin tally Apple iOS 11 oregon aboriginal is besides compatible with AirPlay 2. These see devices from the iPhone 5S and onward, to the 2017 iPad oregon newer, immoderate iPad Air, immoderate iPad Pro, and iPad Mini 2 oregon later. 

It besides works with Apple iPod Touch 2015 (sixth generation) and some the HomePod and HomePod Mini.

Which third-party devices connection AirPlay 2?

• AirPlay is supported connected respective older speakers and soundbars
• AirPlay 2 has been supported by galore brands arsenic well 
• Many Sonos speakers connection AirPlay 2

AirPlay was supported connected respective older speakers and soundbars from third-party manufacturers. AirPlay 2 was much restricted astatine motorboat but is present wide adopted. Brands offering enactment see Sonos, Denon and Marantz, Bose, Bang and Olufsen, Beats, Naim, Devialet, Dynaudio, Polk, McIntosh, Bowers & Wilkins, Libratone, Definitive Technology, and Bluesound, among others.

That doesn't mean these brands connection afloat enactment though.

For instance, newer Sonos speakers, including the Sonos Five, Arc, Sonos One, Move, and Roam enactment AirPlay 2, arsenic volition aboriginal Sonos products. However, older Sonos players - similar Play:3 and Play:1 - don't enactment it.

Meanwhile, immoderate manufacturers, similar Naim and Libratone, connection the quality to simply tally a bundle update connected their speakers to payment from AirPlay 2 features, but others request you to bargain a wholly caller speaker.

Apple AirPlay 2 vs AirPlay: Which is better?

AirPlay 2 has been disposable connected each iOS versions from iOS 11.4 onward truthful it's been astir a portion now.

Following the update, AirPlay 2 opens up a full satellite of multi-room streaming capabilities that were antecedently not disposable connected the iPhone oregon iPad, specified arsenic controlling aggregate speakers, which, up until AirPlay 2 launched, you were lone capable to bash connected the MacBook.

It's not conscionable iPhone owners that payment though, arsenic AirPlay 2 besides brings with it multi-room playback for the HomePod and HomePod Mini. 

Writing by Maggie Tillman. Editing by Britta O'Boyle. Originally published connected 29 May 2018.