[DerJacques]

It's actually a nice feature that has been available on Airpods Pro as well. The feature makes it feel like the sound is actually coming out of the iPhone / iPad / etc. When you turn your head, the sound source stays the same.

Note that the Airpods don't actually know where your device is located. It simply sets a "base orientation" when the sound is started. This base orientation is updated when you keep your head in a new position for a longer time ("resetting" the approximated position of your device).

[ChrisRR]

But why? Surely the point of headphones is that the sound is right in your ears and not coming out of a small device in a specific direction

[leokennis]

When you play back Dolby Atmos material, this feature sort of emulates having a surround sound system. So, even though you only have two earbuds, sounds do seem to be around you (coming from behind etc.) And if you move your head, the sound source stays the same, enhancing the illusion that there are 5 speakers around you and if you move, the sound changes.

The emulation is convincing and well executed, but it is still just a gimmick that only really works when playing back Dolby Atmos movies.

[em500]

What "the point" of headphones is, is of course subjective. But I'm going to guess that for most people, the point of using headphones is have their audio portable and/or to not disturb other people. I don't think many people use them because they explicitly like the experience of audio playing "between the ears".

As to "why", people might actually prefer the (emulated) experience of a point sound source, as it could closer resemble talking to someone physically present (calls) or listening to a live performance.