Apple is working on camera-equipped AirPods expected to launch in late 2027 alongside the 20th anniversary iPhone and a next-generation foldable iPhone, reports Bloomberg.
AirPods will be Apple’s first wearable AI product. The AirPods’ cameras aren’t designed to take photos and videos, but will send information about the wearer’s surroundings to Siri. Siri will be able to answer questions about objects and anything the wearer is looking at. Contextual reminders are a possibility, as are enhanced step-by-step instructions while walking.
Apple already has a similar feature available through Visual Intelligence, which allows Siri to provide details about photos captured by the user. In iOS 27, Visual Intelligence is accessible through the Camera app with a new Siri mode.
The AirPods will look like the current AirPods Pro 3, but will have cameras built into the stem. An included light will notify people around the wearer when the cameras are transmitting data to Siri.
Multiple rumors, including Bloombergpreviously suggested that AirPods with cameras could arrive in 2026. Apple apparently wanted to release AirPods in 2026, but Apple’s continued struggles with AI and the need to develop visual models that could identify objects around the user caused the AirPods to be delayed.
Bloomberg indicates that all three devices are being tested with iOS 28, but the timing “remains fluid and could change.” Apple also has smart glasses in the works that could arrive “as early as the end of next year,” which would likely see the AirPods and glasses launch around the same time.
Popular stories
New iOS 27 Rumors Include Revamped AirPods Settings Menu and More
Apple is expected to unveil iOS 27 next month ahead of a September release. The update is expected to include a dedicated Siri app, expanded Apple Intelligence capabilities in apps like Wallet, Safari, and Shortcuts, an upgraded keyboard with improved auto-correction, the ability to use Apple Maps over a satellite connection, and much more. In today’s Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman revealed…
Apple to bring custom EQ to AirPods
Apple today announced that AirPods will benefit from a custom EQ (equalizer) feature, allowing users to further personalize the sound of their AirPods. This new feature is part of updates to Apple’s next-generation software platform, which the company revealed today. Custom EQ allows listeners to adjust audio output based on their personal preferences, going beyond the fixed audio profiles that AirPods have…
iOS 27 introduces revised AirPods settings menu
When AirPods owners connect to their iPhone running iOS 27, they’ll see a completely redesigned settings menu for their headphones that better organizes all the feature options Apple has added over the past few years. In the first iOS 27 developer beta, released on Monday, the new settings menu is accessible in the same way as the old one, that is, appearing only when…
