Rumor mill: In what initially sounds like a bizarre combination, Apple is reportedly set to add a new component to its AirPods: camera modules. These aren’t designed to get a good look at the inside of year ear canals, though; they’re infrared cameras designed for creating spatial audio, which changes when a wearer moves their head.
The report that Apple will revamp its AirPods comes from TF International Securities analyst and long-time Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo, whose many predictions regarding Cupertino products tend to be correct.
Kuo says the camera system in the AirPods will be similar to the IR technology used for Face ID on the iPhone and iPad. By detecting when someone turns their head, certain sounds can be increased or decreased. If you’re using them with the Vision Pro or a future Apple headset, it could make the 3D environment more immersive and lifelike.
If, like most people, you don’t intend to buy one of Apple’s very expensive spatial computers, as it calls them, the AirPods’ IR cameras could still have some uses. The module could be used to detect hand gestures, perhaps allowing, for example, wearers to skip through music tracks with an air swipe.
Last month saw reports that Apple does not intend to make a second-generation of its $3,500 Vision Pro headset, which hasn’t exactly sold well, but will instead release a cheaper model. It will supposedly be priced around the same as a high-end iPhone, so Apple might still slap a $1,500 price tag on it.
Kuo believes Apple will mass produce the all-new AirPods featuring the IR cameras by 2026. They could be timed to arrive soon after the cheaper Vision Pro, which is rumored to land sometime next year.
Kuo isn’t the only one who thinks Apple will add cameras to its AirPods. Apple expert Mark Gurman says the company is exploring this idea, and that it will also boost the wearables with more advanced AI features and health sensors.
It was reported in April that Apple is planning to launch entry-level AirPods by the end of this year. The company is also said to be working on an upgraded AirPods Max that could hit the market in the fourth quarter of 2024.
