Apple is reportedly equipping AirPods with cameras to keep their ear hairs at bay.
The $3 trillion company plans to mass-produce improved headsets with built-in infrared cameras by 2026, according to one company. new report This comes from analyst and senior Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo. The analysts wrote that the cameras could help Apple enhance the spatial audio capabilities of its current and future augmented reality headsets.
Citing a supply chain survey, Kuo said pairing these enhanced headphones with Vision Pro goggles could make Apple’s spatial computing experience more realistic. For example, “if the user turns their head to look in a specific direction, you can emphasize the source of the sound in that direction,” the analysts said.
Kuo said that for people not interested in Apple headphones, the infrared camera could provide other benefits, including bringing “air” gestures to AirPods. The IR module may be similar to the receiver that powers Apple’s facial recognition feature, FaceID.
Analyst reports follow early story This comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who notes that Apple is working on the idea of camera-powered AirPods.
If Apple does introduce cameras into its headphones, the move would continue a long-term trend for the tech giant. After turning its simple white headphones into a status symbol in the iPod era, Apple has gradually made them smarter over the years, adding features such as wireless connectivity, noise cancellation, head tracking, touch and voice commands.
Some people have also discussed AirPods with health tracking, but Apple has not released such a feature so far. This may be the best outcome. Take Amazfit as an example, average peformance Back in 2021, the company built fitness tracking into the Powerbuds Pro.
