July 1, 2024, 11:04 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Apple has not introduced a new AirPods model for two years. The company is working behind the scenes on new technologies for its headphone products.
Last year, AirPods accounted for between 21 and 29 percent of the global earbuds market (Source: Statista). One of the key selling points is the deep integration of the headphones into Apple’s ecosystem. Seamless switching between devices and 3D audio work best with AirPods on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. For a model set to be released in 2026, an innovation is planned to further enhance the interaction with Apple devices.
Cameras to Enable New Features
Reliable industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has published new information on the blog platform Medium about an AirPods model planned for 2026. Kuo’s current supply chain investigation “suggests that Apple plans to mass-produce new AirPods by 2026 with camera modules equipped with an IR camera similar to the iPhone Face ID receiver (not the transmitter).”
This information partially aligns with an earlier report by Mark Gurman for “Bloomberg” from February. According to Gurman, Apple is experimenting with “cameras on the earbuds, along with more advanced AI and health sensors.” The project has been running since 2023 under the codename B798 and involves installing low-resolution camera sensors in a casing that should not be larger than current AirPods. The camera data is to be processed by AI to enable fitness tracking.
According to Kuo’s information, Apple now has different plans for the AirPods with an infrared camera. The company aims to strengthen its spatial computing ecosystem for the mixed-reality headset Vision Pro, released in early 2024, with the headphones. While the 3rd generation AirPods and AirPods Pro 2nd generation already support 3D audio, the use of a camera could further enhance the experience. For example, if a Vision Pro user wearing the 2026 AirPods model looks in a certain direction, the sound coming from there can be highlighted.
Apple Plans Mass Production of New AirPods by 2026
But that’s not all. Although infrared cameras do not provide detailed photos, they can detect changes in the environment. According to Kuo, this could potentially enable a new type of gesture control for the 2026 AirPods. Instead of controlling the earbuds themselves, hand gestures in the air could be conceivable.
It is still unclear which of the current AirPods models will even get the cameras. However, since Kuo sees integration with Vision Pro as a key selling point, the AirPods Pro are particularly likely candidates. The 2nd generation with USB-C charging case is currently the only headphones that support lossless audio for Vision Pro.
The AirPods model with cameras is set to go into mass production by 2026. Kuo names the main iPhone manufacturer Foxconn from Taiwan as the producer of the camera modules. The company is likely aiming for a first production run of 10 million AirPods units.