According to renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple aims to start mass production of new AirPods models with cameras in 2026. Leaks about Apple’s plans to develop camera AirPods have been confirmed once again with this news.
What will AirPods with camera come in 2026?
According to Kuo, these new AirPods will include an infrared camera similar to the Face ID module on the iPhone and iPad. Apple’s goal is to integrate these AirPods with Vision Pro and future Apple Vision headphones:
“The new AirPods are expected to highlight the sound source in that direction when users turn their head in a specific direction. This will enhance the spatial audio and computing experience.”
In addition, the infrared camera mentioned in the news report can detect environmental image changes and can be used to control air movements.
Kuo states that Foxconn is the new product introduction (NPI) supplier for AirPods with cameras. Foxconn’s annual production capacity plan is 18-20 million units, or about 10 million pairs of AirPods.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, known for his Apple coverage, noted in February that AirPods with cameras were just one of the wearable tech ideas Apple was exploring. The company is also considering other innovative products, such as smart glasses similar to Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses, smart rings and future versions of the Apple Watch.
While integration with Vision Pro is a logical feature, analysts expect that these new camera AirPods won’t be entirely focused on Vision Pro. Apple presumably has plenty of ideas for how these AirPods will work with powerful multi-mode audio and video AI systems.
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