Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

'AirPods Ultra' Rumored to Feature a Major Upgrade Over AirPods Pro

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster


In a social media post this week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated that Apple is planning to release new AirPods with cameras "for Siri."

airpods-pro-3-design.jpg

Last month, Gurman said these AirPods will likely be priced above the current AirPods Pro 3, which Apple sells for $249. As a result, he said Apple is likely considering using "AirPods Ultra" branding for the camera-equipped AirPods.

"AirPods Ultra" would not have typical cameras for capturing photos and videos. Instead, Gurman previously reported that the earbuds will be equipped with infrared cameras that use computer vision to feed data about a user's surroundings to Siri. The cameras should help to enhance the Visual Intelligence feature on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer.

This would be similar to the infrared camera built into the Face ID system on iPhones.

In June 2024, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said AirPods with cameras would potentially enable "in-air gesture control." In his post this week, however, Gurman said he does not expect the AirPods to support hand gestures.

It was initially rumored that the camera-equipped AirPods would be a higher-end AirPods Pro 3 configuration, much like the AirPods 4 are available in variants with or without active noise cancellation. However, it is increasingly sounding like the earbuds will instead be "AirPods Ultra" positioned above the AirPods Pro entirely.

Macworld's Filipe Espósito recently reported that Apple plans to release an "iPhone Ultra" and a "MacBook Ultra" within the next year, so "AirPods Ultra" would be part of a trio of new "Ultra" devices. Apple already uses "Ultra" branding for the Apple Watch Ultra, CarPlay Ultra, and the M1 Ultra to M3 Ultra series of chips.

It is not entirely clear when the "AirPods Ultra" will arrive, but September of this year is a possibility if Apple plans to announce them alongside the "iPhone Ultra," its long-rumored foldable iPhone. A redesigned "MacBook Ultra" with an OLED display and touch-screen capabilities is expected to follow by early 2027.

Article Link: 'AirPods Ultra' Rumored to Feature a Major Upgrade Over AirPods Pro
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/30/airpods-ultra-major-upgrade-rumor/
It feels kind of like “new tech for the sake of new tech”… which is fine on its own, but the fragmentation of hardware / software may further dilute the “it just works” messaging with even more new bugs. I’ll look for a subscription fee eventually as well lol.
 
  • Like
  • Disagree
Reactions: MasterControlProgram and dmo7
Are these supposed to point vaguely forward, be wide angle/fish eye, or literally to the sides?

Also, why is apple not making more of the potential for gesture control via electromyography (EMG) in the Apple Watch (Series 9 onward)? The Meta Neural Band that comes with their AI glasses with display looks pretty cool and Apple already has some gestures in the Apple Watch (clench, wrist flick, double finger tap).
 
AppleMega said:
Pretty niche. If it's just AirPods Pro 3 with those rumored add-ons, I'm good with my 3s as is. If it has better sound (current sound is fantastic, on par with the Max) or... LOSSLESS, then bring them on.
Click to expand...

I agree about sound but if this is true and the AirPods Ultra ends up being an even higher sound quality device (plus whatever else it gets) I hope that it isn't the nail in the coffin for any further AirPods Max improvements in sound quality.

As you say, APP3 has great sound quality but with more space for bigger drivers, more powerful amps, bigger battery etc the full over-ear form factor is always going to have the best chance of delivering the best sound quality in the line-up and I hope that Apple does keep pushing the Max series forward.

And yes, wireless lossless would be great and I would think easier, at least with current technology, to implement in an over-the-ear form factor.
 
I really don't see the point of this. I suppose it depends on what you can do with the gestures, but I'm more than happy with swipe up and down for volume and clicks for pause, calls and summoning Siri, on the very rare occasion that I want to ask it something other than to turn on a light or open a garage door.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MasterControlProgram
Seriously? Are they really gonna call everything Ultra now just to make them more expensive?
Like the rumoured "MacBook Ultra" with OLED screen even thought they should have put OLED in Pro MacBooks? I still hope this whole "MacBook Ultra" thing is a BS, there's really no reason for them to not put an OLED screen in current MacBook Pro.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: MasterControlProgram, whoknows2597 and turbineseaplane
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back