Apple's Camera-Equipped AirPods Ultra: What to Expect

[MacRumors]

Apple is working on AirPods that have cameras for feeding data to Siri. The new earbuds will be Apple's first AI wearable, and current rumors suggest they're going to come out in late 2027.

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Design

The AirPods will look similar to the current AirPods Pro 3, but with cameras embedded in the stem. Apple also plans to include a light that will come on when visual data from the AirPods is being sent to the cloud. The LED will let people around the wearer know the cameras are in use.

Size, design, and fit are expected to remain the largely same for the earbuds and the charging case, with the exception of the changes to the stem.

Rumors suggest Apple will use tiny infrared cameras, similar to the infrared camera used for Face ID.

Features

The cameras in the AirPods will be used for sending data about the wearer's surroundings to Siri, giving Siri more information about where the user is and what's nearby.

Siri will be able to answer questions about objects or whatever the wearer happens to be looking at. The camera-equipped AirPods could be useful for more exact turn-by-turn directions when walking, contextual reminders, 3D mapping, and more.

The iPhone already has Visual Intelligence, which uses AI to identify plants, animals, landmarks, art, books, and more. Camera-equipped AirPods will be able to supply data for Visual Intelligence without the need to use the Camera app.

Users aren't likely to be able to use the cameras to capture photos and videos.

H3 Chip

Apple is working on an upgraded H3 chip and it could make its first appearance in the next AirPods Pro. The H3 chip is expected to bring latency improvements and better audio quality.

Naming

Initial rumors about the AirPods with cameras said they wouldn't be a full new model and wouldn't be called the AirPods Pro 4, but launch timing has since changed. It's now likely the AirPods will be part of the AirPods Pro line, but naming is still unsettled.

Apple could call them the AirPods Pro 4, but AirPods Ultra is also a possibility.

Pricing

With the addition of cameras, the AirPods could be more expensive than the current $249 AirPods Pro 3.

Compatibility

Since the AirPods will feed data to Siri, an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence will be required to use the features. Apple Intelligence is available on the iPhone 15 Pro and later.

Release Date

There were rumors suggesting the camera-equipped AirPods could come out as soon as this year, but the latest information indicates the new earbuds will launch in late 2027 alongside the 20th anniversary iPhone and a second-generation foldable iPhone.

Apple reportedly needed more time for the AirPods to design visual AI models capable of identifying objects.

Apple is testing the new AirPods with iOS 28, an update that Apple is already developing.

Article Link: Apple's Camera-Equipped AirPods Ultra: What to Expect

 

[everlast3434]

No matter how hard I think, I can't think of something I need less than cameras in my AirPods. I'd settle for them just staying connected to my phone while I'm on a call, instead of connecting to the AppleTV in my basement midway through...

 

[ThomasJL]

Are Silicon Valley people, especially CEOs like Larry Page, Sundar Pichai, Mark Zuckerberg, and now Tim Cook, unaware of just how creepy it is to have cameras in things like glasses and earbuds?

 

[jz0309]

Instant NON-Buy.
The APP3 will be $149 soon enough, and who knows what happens til the end of 2027 ... besides, my APP2 are doing great

 

[teaneedz]

say hello to the earholes

 

[ericinboston]

1. "The cameras in the AirPods will be used for sending data about the wearer's surroundings to Siri, giving Siri more information about where the user is and what's nearby." Great, so kill the battery even faster. Not sure how Siri would even help anyway...um...I have my headphones in my ears TO HEAR MUSIC...not "that may be a pine tree".
2. "Siri will be able to answer questions about objects or whatever the wearer happens to be looking at. The camera-equipped AirPods could be useful for more exact turn-by-turn directions when walking, contextual reminders, 3D mapping, and more." Again, I'm using headphones to listen to music...not a narration over my music about the upcoming Chipotle that is open.

I really can't see these headphones being embraced by anyone other than folks who do NOT want to hear music and would rather hear some kind of video/map/reality augmentation like the tech industry promised 10 years ago.

 

[DerHexer]

I still call this rumor bs…

 

[citysnaps]

I can think of all sorts of applications for cameras in AirPods. It just takes a wee bit of imagination. And no, that does not include making surreptitious photos of people.

 

[Nyx1]

Who make this idea must be friends with ****erberg

 

[watchmainspring]

If they release these, I will consider shorting AAPL.

This product will largely not be allowed in schools, hospitals, and universities--a core target market.

I find it quite sketch when anyone wears META glasses.

I also feel that constant airpod wearing is often socially disrespectful.

 

[entropys]

Are Silicon Valley people, especially CEOs like Larry Page, Sundar Pichai, Mark Zuckerberg, and now Tim Cook, unaware of just how creepy it is to have cameras in things like glasses and earbuds?

It’s like something out of that old David Brin Sci Fi novel Earth. The huge numbers of oldies thanks to health services prolonging their lives have nothing to do but wear TruVu glasses and taunt youth gangs into threatening them. Then the footage is straight off to the police.

 

[gummybear2026]

Airpods Pro Creep mode. Apple has seriously lost it's edge.

 

[entropys]

If the lights’ colour can be changed, could that be made into a fashion feature? I’ll take emerald, thanks.

 

[surfzen21]

Instant NON-Buy.
The APP3 will be $149 soon enough, and who knows what happens til the end of 2027 ... besides, my APP2 are doing great

I have a bad feeling that once the H3 chip comes out the software updates for the APP3 and other H2 chips will be ended just like the Ultra 1, IMO, lost updates prematurely.

 

[chrisninjabay]

WHO asked for tiny cameras in their ****ing AirPods?

Lower latency, Higher Sound fidelity, support for CD-quality audio and longer battery life would be appreciated.

But I don’t need a pair of Earphones that boils water by proxy to cool massive inference ASICS because some ******* in a suit thinks everything should be Ai, or Blockchain, or web 3, or what ever floats the spreadsheets this quarter.

And I don’t want anymore privacy eroding technology in my life forced upon me by the tech-oligarchy.

 

[jz0309]

I have a bad feeling that once the H3 chip comes out the software updates for the APP3 and other H2 chips will be ended just like the Ultra 1, IMO, lost updates prematurely.

could very well be, but honestly, I know my APP2s have gotten lots of updates and the only one I remember noticing was the hearing aid one (if memory serves) ...

 

[boswald]

If true then I'm sticking with my APP3.

 

[teaneedz]

maybe budholes is the better term.

even for Apple this sounds bad. they likely won't take pics but they will "see" faces. how will that data feed into siri gemini?

 

[Avatar74]

Are Silicon Valley people, especially CEOs like Larry Page, Sundar Pichai, Mark Zuckerberg, and now Tim Cook, unaware of just how creepy it is to have cameras in things like glasses and earbuds?

So I spent a decade or so working for a Silicon Valley software company. You're not going to want to hear this but:

They know and don't care. Tim Cook is legendary for his complete lack of empathy when it comes to burning the candle to reduce JIT inventory from 6 months to 2 weeks at Apple Stores.

Zuckerberg? LOL... the guy literally built the foundations of his fortune beginning with a site that creeped on and ranked young university women.

The list goes on. The truth is they're all sociopaths. You don't rise to that level without becoming exceptionally greedy and disconnected from reality.

It's soul destroying, and that's a large part of why I left.

 

[upthetoffees]

Why?

 

[KillerScoregasm]

Steve Jobs had to go to make way for 1984’s future inside Apple.

 

[Plutonius]

Siri: Your ears need cleaning 🙂.

 

[Astuces iOS]

It's not AirPods anymore, that's a spy gadget !

 

[EchoplexSE]

wondering when Health systems are going to just do a blanket ban on these and all the other tech people carry around.

 

[casjohnr]

The fake manufacturers will be upset they have to spend another $0.01 on production costs with a random flashing LED!