Apple is working on AirPods with cameras to integrate with Vision Pro.
Apple is preparing a new breakthrough in the field of headphones. According to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, the company is actively developing AirPods with built-in cameras. These devices most likely will not appear in the AirPods Pro 3 but are already in the plans for the future. The main goal is to make headphones smarter and the user more aware of their surroundings.
Vision for headphones: why do AirPods need cameras?
Along with the iPhone 16, Apple introduced Camera Control, a feature that makes camera control more convenient and opens up access to Visual Intelligence. This technology helps users analyze the world around them, extract useful information, and interact with objects. For example, you can scan an event poster and immediately add the event to your calendar or get an explanation of an unknown object using AI.
Now Apple wants to bring similar functionality to AirPods. According to Gurman:
"The company is developing a new version of AirPods Pro with external cameras and artificial intelligence to better understand the world around you and provide you with useful information."
This is an evolution of the smart glasses concept — without the glasses themselves. In the future, you will be able to simply ask Siri, “What is in front of me?” — and get an answer without having to take out your iPhone.
Renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo adds that the cameras in the AirPods could be used for spatial audio and integration with the Vision Pro. If a user is watching a movie on the Vision Pro and turns their head in a certain direction, the new AirPods could change the sound positioning, amplifying the sound from that side.
Kuo also believes the cameras will enable in-air gesture control, which could open up a new way to interact with AirPods without touching.
When can we expect AirPods with cameras?
According to Bloomberg, similar technologies won't appear until 2027, most likely with the AirPods Pro 4. Apple is also considering releasing smart glasses similar to Ray-Ban's Meta to make the most of the spatial intelligence technology from the Vision Pro.
Apple is making AirPods not just headphones, but part of a global artificial intelligence ecosystem. The cameras will allow:
- Identify objects and scenes around you using Siri and AI.
- Enhance spatial sound when paired with Vision Pro.
- Control gestures without pressing or touching.
But the big question remains: how will users react to cameras in headphones? After all, the idea of devices constantly recording the environment could raise privacy concerns.
The new AirPods are said to be used with Vision Pro and future Apple earbuds to enhance the spatial audio user experience and strengthen the spatial computing ecosystem. According to Bloomberg, Apple won't release this technology until 2027 at the earliest, likely alongside the AirPods Pro 4.
