According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is working on new Airpods. Equipped with an infrared camera, they could be released in 2026.
New development for Apple Airpods. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, often well informed, the American giant is working on new wireless headphones, equipped with an infrared camera. They would be released in 2026, according to him.
These Airpods could notably be used with the Vision Pro, which will be released on July 12 in France. They would thus make it possible to “improve the user experience of spatial audio and [de] strengthen the spatial computing ecosystem,” explains Ming-Chi Kuo in a blog post.
Concretely, when a user wears these new Airpods while watching a video with the Vision Pro, the earphones’ camera will be able to determine “if they turn their head to look in a specific direction”. The sound in this direction will thus be accentuated to amplify the immersion effect.
“Improving human-device interaction”
The infrared camera will also be able to detect changes in the AirPods wearer’s environment. In other words, the headphones could “enhance human-device interaction” by detecting and interpreting the gestures made by the user with their hands.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple has entrusted the production of these cameras to its industrial partner Foxconn, which would be responsible for producing 18 to 20 million units, or around 10 million Airpods.
This isn’t the first time Apple has talked about this project. Back in February, Bloomberg reported that the company was looking to make its headphones smarter by integrating cameras, as well as more advanced artificial intelligence and health sensors.
