Apple has moved closer to completing development of new AirPods with built-in cameras—a device that could become the company’s first mass-market wearable designed specifically for the age of artificial intelligence.
The project has already reached the stage where prototypes feature near-final hardware design and functionality. The device is currently undergoing DVT—design validation testing—before moving into production trials and the release of the first preproduction units.
The new AirPods will use integrated cameras not for taking photos or video, but as “eyes” for Siri and AI-powered features. Cameras embedded in both earbuds will be able to scan visual information about the surrounding environment in low resolution. Externally, the device will resemble the AirPods Pro 3, although the stems will be longer to accommodate the cameras.
Apple had originally planned to launch the device in the first half of this year, but the release was delayed because of setbacks involving the new version of Siri. According to the report, the updated voice assistant is now expected to debut in September following an overhaul of Apple’s core AI models using Google Gemini technology.
Using the new AirPods, users will be able to ask Siri questions about objects around them. For example, they could look at ingredients and ask what can be cooked for dinner. Conceptually, the system resembles visual analysis features in ChatGPT or the Visual Intelligence tool on the iPhone.
Apple is also testing additional use cases. The earbuds could remind users about things based on what the cameras detect or use visual landmarks for more precise navigation. Siri, for instance, may eventually be able to point out specific buildings or objects while guiding a route.
The company is simultaneously trying to solve the privacy problem—one of the main criticisms aimed at devices that continuously analyze their surroundings visually. To address this, the AirPods will include a small LED indicator that lights up whenever visual data is transmitted to the cloud. However, because of the earbuds’ size, it remains unclear how noticeable the signal will be.
Development of the device has been underway for roughly four years. The new AirPods will become part of Apple’s broader lineup of AI-focused hardware. The company is also working on smart glasses and a wearable camera-based device designed in a pendant form factor, although both projects remain at earlier stages.
Apple expects strong demand for the new AirPods and is already trying to secure supplies of necessary components. Those efforts are being complicated by a global shortage of memory and other semiconductors.
Unlike the Vision Pro headset, the new AirPods will not support hand-gesture controls. Such functionality is also not currently planned for Apple’s future smart glasses.
Incoming company chief John Ternus has in recent weeks been telling employees about what he describes as Apple’s “strongest product cycle” ever. After being appointed CEO, he said the company was preparing to “change the world again” in the same way it did during the eras of the iPhone, iPad, and iPod.
John Ternus.
Apple
“If you’re extremely lucky, once or twice in your career you get to be part of something truly important. Right now, we’re in one of those moments again,” Ternus told employees.
He oversees development of around ten major new products, including a touchscreen MacBook, a foldable iPhone, and AI-powered smart home devices. Ternus will officially replace Tim Cook as CEO on September 1 and will lead Apple’s annual fall product presentation.
At the same time, the company is expanding visual AI capabilities for the iPhone as well. In iOS 27, Apple plans to introduce a new Siri camera mode that will make visual analysis features a more prominent part of the operating system.
Bloomberg first reported on Apple’s work on camera-equipped AirPods back in February 2024. Apple had also been developing an Apple Watch with a built-in camera, though that project was canceled last year.
AirPods remain one of Apple’s most widely adopted products. The company regularly bundles them with the iPhone, and since their launch in 2016 the earbuds have become one of the most successful devices in Apple’s lineup. The latest AirPods update arrived late last year, when Apple added a heart-rate sensor similar to the one used in the Apple Watch.