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The term is, the tech isn't. Apple does this with lots of things, like calling OLED displays 'Super Retina'; it both is and isn't true that only Apple products have super retina displays.

Yeah Aureal was doing spatial audio in the 90s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Yc2pODiZgU&t=157s

I think the distinguishing feature of displays branded “Super Retina” is the high pixel density (around 460 ppi). They have lower density OLED displays that they just call “Retina”.

Seems to me that it was a term which existed before Apple started using it:

<https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2018-09-05%202...>

But your link shows precisely the opposite.

That the term essentially didn't exist (1/100 "interest") until Apple rolled it out in Sep 2020 (with some press the summer before).

The general idea of a 3D effect on headphones has been around for decades, often called "3D audio" or similar [1], but I never heard the term "spatial audio" until Apple marketed it.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_audio_effect

HRTFs are not an Apple device feature, they are a widely known thing. Apple just markets it as Spatial audio

Anyone remember the "Virtual Barbershop"?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUDTlvagjJA