Apple Will Produce AirPods With Cameras In 2026

Apple will create AirPods with camera (photo: dock. Apple)

JAKARTA Wearable devices continue to increase from year to year. After Meta added cameras to smart glasses, now Apple plans to launch AirPods that have cameras. This news comes from Ming-Chi Kuo analysts. Through the Medium platform, Kuo said that Apple wants to add camera modules to its audio devices. The plan, the latest AirPods model will be produced in 2026. "Apple plans to mass-produce new AirPods with camera modules in 2026, featuring an IR camera similar to the iPhone Face ID receiver (not the transmitter)," Kuo said, quoted on Monday, June 1. Kuo explained that this device uses Foxconn's infrared camera (IR). The company will supply 18 to 20 million units and 10 million of them are made for AirPods. However, its actual demand will be adjusted to market conditions. According to Kuo's explanation, Apple deliberately uses an IR Camera because of its capabilities. This device can detect various changes in the surrounding environment so that it can be used to control various movements in the air. "(this capability can) improve human-device interaction. It should be noted that Apple has filed associated patents in this area," said Kuo.

Using the IR camera, AirPods will be a companion to Vision Pro and other model headsets from Apple. This audio device will improve the spatial audio experience when using Apple's spatial computer technology. "For example, when a user watches a video with Vision Pro and wears this new AirPods, if the user is looking at a specific direction, the sound source in that direction can be emphasized to improve the experience of spatial audio/computation," Kuo explained. Although this AirPods integrated with the IR camera sounds suitable for Vision Pro, there is a possibility that this device was created for other purposes. The exact purpose of adding the IR camera is not yet expected because there is no additional information.