AirPods Pro 4 Could Feature Cameras to 'See Around You'

[MacRumors]

Apple's next-generation AirPods Pro will feature cameras to see around a user, according to the leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami."

In a new post on X, Kosutami said that the next AirPods Pro will be able to see around the wearer, presumably via cameras in each earbud. Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the 2026 AirPods Pro will feature a "more significant" hardware upgrade in the form at least one tiny infrared camera. He previously said AirPods with infrared cameras could recognize hand gestures and provide an enhanced spatial audio experience with Apple's Vision Pro headset.

Kosutami added that the new AirPods Pro will be available at the same $249 price as the current model. This contrasts with previous rumors suggesting that the next AirPods Pro would be a secondary version of AirPods Pro 3 this year, sitting in the lineup alongside the current model.

The Chinese leaker known as "Instant Digital" corroborated the rumors about new AirPods Pro featuring infrared cameras for gesture controls, with some additional details and clarifications. Rather than being a new generation, the 2026 AirPods Pro will apparently be a pricier, high-end variant of the AirPods Pro 3 introduced in 2025, suggesting that both models will ultimately be on sale alongside each other. It is worth noting that Apple offers two version of the AirPods 4 at $129 and $179 price points, so this is a highly plausible move.

The current AirPods lineup has offerings priced at $129, $179, $249, and $549. An additional product between the $249 AirPods Pro 3 and $549 AirPods Max seems possible, especially given the rise of higher end Bluetooth earbuds from the likes of Bang Olufsen, Bowers & Wilkins, and Bose.

Regardless, back in September 2025, Kuo reported that Apple is planning to introduce a successor to the AirPods Pro 3 in 2026. This would be somewhat unusual since Apple normally waits around three years to make major changes to the AirPods' hardware. AirPods Pro 2 debuted at the iPhone 14 event in September 2022, and they were updated with a USB-C charging case and a few other tweaks in September 2023. Otherwise, Apple has waited about three years to update all of its AirPods models.

Whether they are a new, high-end version of the AirPods Pro 3 or full-fledged AirPods Pro 4, launch timing is currently unclear, but Apple typically announces new AirPods in the second half of the year. The original AirPods, AirPods Pro 2 and their subsequent USB-C revision, AirPods 4, and AirPods Pro 3 were all announced at Apple's annual iPhone event in September.

Article Link: AirPods Pro 4 Could Feature Cameras to 'See Around You'

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

All I want is to find a pair of AirPods Pro 2 on sale,but it might be too late now

 

[yuvaldv1]

So if I understand correctly, if you don't have a Vision Pro, there will be no benefits?

 

[KES3059A3]

AirPods Pro Pro.

 

[mozumder]

good rumor.

 

[tippa123]

Very curious about this and the level of access you’ll have to the camera. Also an interesting word choice. When 'Camera' is mentioned, I don’t think most people would think of infrared, even though it’s a valid use of the term.

 

[nfl46]

Don’t expect this to ship anytime soon. Probably a few years away.

 

[klasma]

See you around!

 

[HVDynamo]

Please no. I don't want cameras on everything. We don't need cameras on everything.

 

[Kissmo1980]

Great. So now I end up making gestures around my head on the street like a lunatic?
I don't understand what is the benefit?

 

[Dejesus]

So scary to have more cameras around

 

[i'm the mac daddy]

Hard pass. Won’t be buying any headphones with cameras, ever.

 

[vegetassj4]

People texting, using hand gestures for various emoji

 

[Farquar]

Maybe this is a conflated rumor with the Apple Glasses. We know that Apple has stripped its AR features in order to ship something asap, so you know audio and cameras have to be a top priority. I'd like nothing more than to replace my everyday glasses, my AirPods, and the need to use my phone to take a picture or video, with one wearable from Apple. That has some serious promise.

 

[TwoBytes]

How are the cameras going to see through this?

 

[carswell]

AirPods Pro Pro.

AirPods Vision Pro.

You read it here first, folks. 😉

 

[zachz]

Great. So now I end up making gestures around my head like on the street a lunatic?
I don't understand what is the benefit?

Reminds me when the very first Apple Watch came out and every so often someone would be in public walking around talking to their wrist. At least here they’ll be able to look straight ahead easier? Idk

 

[DogHouseDub]

To provide users with collision warnings while walking and staring at their iPhone.

 

[switz]

A dictator's dream. Every person is his/her spy as everyone around each individual an be instantly identified and their conversations heard.

Be careful what you ask for. The implementation may not be what you thought it would be.

 

[Skyuser]

To be fair, Apple would be the only company whom I trust putting cameras into my headphones. It is imaginable they will definitely do all the image processing / computer vision stuff strictly on-device. I doubt 3rd-party apps can even request access to those cameras.

Even on iPhones, where 3rd-party apps can request camera access, breaking those access controls and peeking into the camera is virtually impossible for a malicious app or an attacker. That's today's iOS security that we often take for granted.

Besides, Bluetooth doesn't even have enough bandwidth to stream image data from AirPods to another device. Use point-to-point Wi-Fi? That's too power hungry for devices as small as AirPods. Therefore if cameras on AirPods ever get implemented, they'll most probably only aid gesture controls and can't do actual imaging.

 

[jyw104]

So will the gesture for “love this track” be this?

 

[boswald]

Remember when AirPods were for music and talking to people? I do. What happened?

 

[Student of Life]

Honestly it feels gimmicky but i guess the key will be its implementation. The better question is what advancements to sound, ANC and battery life would these new AirPods bring to the table.

 

[groove-agent]

Don’t expect this to ship anytime soon. Probably a few years away.

Like everything else Apple.

 

[CATiNTHESTORE]