AirPods Pro 3 arent here yet, nor are a proper AirPods Max 2, but this was a solid year for AirPods anyways thanks to AirPods 4 and some strong software updates. One of my favorite new features this year, however, should have its biggest impact in the months ahead when iOS 18.4 launches.My favorite new AirPods feature: Siri InteractionsLike its done every year since AirPods Pro 2 first debuted, Apple introduced several new software upgrades for its wireless earbuds this year. iOS 18 and 18.1 introduced the following features:Voice Isolation: Improves calls in noisy environments.Siri Interactions: Nod or shake your head to respond to Siri.Hearing Health: Hearing Test, Hearing Aid, and Hearing Protection.Personalized Spatial Audio: Apple made this better, though details are unclear.Undoubtedly the most transformative upgrade this year is the hearing health trio of features. But my personal favorite has been Siri Interactions, which is supported on AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4.I love how Apple built such perfect audio cues to indicate its registering your head movements.The feature has been a great addition when Im walking the city and want to minimize my voice interactions with Siri.It works great when talking to ChatGPT via Siri too.But as much as Ive already been enjoying Siri Interactions, theyre set to have their biggest impact in iOS 18.4.iOS 18.4 promises intelligent Siri to spark more daily useApple is planning for this springs iOS 18.4 release to focus on big Siri improvements. Heres whats coming:Take actions in apps and across them: Voice computing will actually start to be a thing when Siri can perform hundreds of new app actions.Personal context knowledge: Siri will act like a real assistant in that it will be able to answer requests based on personal info about you, such as details on your calendar, texts youve received, podcasts youve listened to, and more.Onscreen awareness: Whatever youre looking at on your screen, Siri will be able to take action on.The promise of iOS 18.4 is that it will make Siri the sort of intelligent assistant weve all hoped for, but never had before. If Apple can deliver on that promise, everyday use of Siri is bound to increase, and the new Siri Interactions feature will grow more crucial.Were getting closer to a Her-like future, with a more capable digital assistant simply a Siri away. As a result, AirPods and features like non-verbal Siri Interactions will combine to be among the best ways to take advantage of Siris new intelligence.Have you been using Siri Interactions on your AirPods? Which iOS 18.4 upgrade are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments.Best AirPods deals and accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel