Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on Sond & Video Contractor.
Last year saw reports surface that Apple was considering integrated infrared cameras into Airpods to improve the wireless headphones’ spatial audio experience. New information, reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, sheds more light on Apple’s plans to camera-fy its Airpods. In addition to bolstering the immersive audio capabilities of the wireless earbuds, cameras could enable smart AI capabilities found in other wearables.
“Apple is working on a new version of the AirPods Pro that uses external cameras and artificial intelligence to understand the outside world and provide information to the user,” Gurman wrote. “This would essentially be the smart glasses path — but without actual glasses.”
While previous reports point to 2026 as a launch date for camera-integrated Airpods, Gurman says that smart-capable earpods likely won’t surface until 2027, when they would be part of a multi-pronged foray into smart wearables.
“Into 2027, the team is considering launching smart glasses on par with the Meta Ray-Bans, as well as AirPods with cameras. The idea is to salvage the billions of dollars spent on the Vision Pro’s visual intelligence technology, which can scan the environment around a user and supply useful data.”
The following was originally published on July 3, 2024:
Apple’s AirPods may soon be getting built-in cameras, but not in the way you might expect. According to reporter and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (use the translate function in your browser), Apple could be adding infrared camera modules to their AirPods line by 2026, in order for the earbuds to provide a greater spatial audio experience. Apple has been on a roll when it comes to implementing and prioritizing spatial audio experiences.
Apple has already emphasized spatial audio with its Vision Pro headset, and Kuo states that the new AirPods would be designed for use with the Vision Pro as well as “future Apple headsets.” Kuo explains that the idea is for users to be able to turn their heads while watching media on the Vision Pro, while the AirPods would adjust the audio to maintain a sense of direction.
Kuo goes further to state that, since infrared cameras are able to detect environmental image changes, the AirPods could potentially enable gesture control, and that Apple has already filed patents regarding this kind of technology. Kuo speculates that the infrared cameras would likely be manufactured by Apple supplier Foxconn, who already manufactures similar cameras for the company’s line of iPhones.
