A recent report by technology journalist and Apple enthusiast, Mark Gurman, has suggested that AirPods might be getting fitted with tiny cameras in the future.
Gurman’s latest Power On newsletter says the move comes as Apple attempts to create a rival to take on Meta’s smart glasses. Citing lukewarm demand for Apple’s Vision Pro, designers have shifted their concentration to AR glasses as the “superior” option. However, Gurman reports that people in the know at Apple “don’t think a product will be ready for three years or more.”
While we wait for that, Apple is working on other wearable products that could benefit from cameras – such as camera-equipped AirPods.
Gurman first mentioned that Apple was exploring AirPods with cameras in February last year. And it would appear that, despite it not being clear what the cameras would be for, they would serve as infrared sensors, rather than for taking photos. According to a June 2024 blog post from Apple supply chain analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple planned to produce new AirPods with infrared cameras by 2026 – where the cameras would be similar to iPhones' Face ID receiver.
Kuo said the AirPods would give the user an enhanced spatial audio experience with the Apple Vision Pro headset.
"For example, when a user is watching a video with Vision Pro and wearing this new AirPods, if users turn their heads to look in a specific direction, the sound source in that direction can be emphasized to enhance the spatial audio / computing experience," wrote Kuo.
The cameras could also potentially enable “in-air gesture control” as well, allowing for device interaction with hand movements. They could also be used for feeding data to your Apple Watch, or potentially send information to your iPhone in future versions of Apple Intelligence.
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