While the release date is still unclear, Apple’s AI-enhanced AirPods Pro with cameras could be closer to release than recent rumors, but later than initial product rumors expected.
The report of Bloomberg Mark Gurman says Thursday afternoon that there are prototypes with a near-final design that are working and being tested. They would be in the design validation testing (DVT) phase.
DVT is the penultimate step before production, with the testing phase generally lasting three to six months. The next step is production validation test (PVT) units, where devices are manufactured in larger quantities to test assembly procedures.
The PVT for AirPods historically lasted between two and four months. Full production of AirPods typically begins two months before release.
They’re said to look like the AirPods Pro 3, with cameras for Siri contextualization on each earbud, obviously.
The current rumor regarding the cameras is that they will not be able to capture images or videos for the user to keep. The cameras should only be used to give information in response to Siri’s queries, such as making a recipe using ingredients the cameras see in the fridge.
Contrary to previous rumors, hand gesture controls are not expected to be supported by the cameras.
The first rumors of camera-equipped AirPods came in June 2024, when analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said they would be used to improve Spatial Audio in Apple Vision Pro. Then in June 2025, Apple filed a patent regarding the use of cameras on AirPods.
In this patent, the company presented plans for how the cameras would be used as proximity sensors. In the file, an AirPods optical system can recognize the proximity of an object and “determine a type of material” observed. So the camera will just as easily detect when you are next to a wall or when you wave your hand in a gesture.