The new AirPods may feature camera sensors to improve Apple’s AI ecosystem and enable smarter Siri interactions.
Cameras could enhance spatial audio by tracking user movements and syncing with Apple Vision Pro.
Potential features include real-time object recognition, contextual Siri assistance, and in-air gesture controls.
Apple has been working on enhancing the AirPods for a while and we have seen it with the recent hearing aid feature. Now the latest reports suggest that Apple is working on a new AirPods that will have integrated cameras, with an aim to enhance the AI capabilities and spatial audio. According to Mark Gurman’s report, the new AirPods are under development but may debut with the AirPods Pro 4 (not anytime sooner than 2027).
SurveyThe main reason behind the AirPods with cameras could be to improve Apple’s AI ecosystem. The report stated that the new AirPods would be inspired by Visual Intelligence features and may allow users to interact with their surroundings in smarter ways via camera sensors and AI. This way, users may be able to ask Siri contextual questions about their environment without needing to pull out their iPhones.
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According to Gurman, this move will move towards smart glasses functionality—without the actual glasses. Looking at the Apple AirPods sale records, this can be a big move in pushing the AI strategy by offering real-time information, object recognition, and enhanced Siri responses through external cameras.
Previously Ming-Chi Kuo also suggested that the cameras could work in sync with the Apple Vision Pro and other upcoming headsets. Overall, the goal is to improve the spatial audio by tracking the movements of the users and offer a more promising audio experience. Additionally, he also stated that the cameras could enable “in-air gesture control” for AirPods, potentially allowing users to control music, calls, and Siri functions with hand movements.
While Apple has yet to confirm this concept, it may face some serious concerns related to battery, form factor, quality, privacy, and misuse. It remains to be seen how Apple is planning to launch its product.
Speaking of the release timeline, the Bloomberg report stated that the AirPods Pro could launch in 2027, alongside AirPods Pro 4.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
