In 2024, Apple should renew its AirPods by launching two new pairs. Rumors speak of a low-cost model below the $100 mark, the AirPods Lite, and another serving as affordable AirPods Pro, featuring active noise reduction.
For the future, Apple would innovate with new embedded technologies. On Medium, Ming-Chi Kuo published a blog post on July 30, 2024 discussing AirPods with integrated infrared camera. A surprising addition, but one that makes sense given the latest category of products marketed by Apple: mixed reality headsets.
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The analyst explains that these new AirPods would be used “with Vision Pro and future Apple headsets to improve the spatial audio user experience and strengthen the spatial computing ecosystem”.
In addition to this better spatialization of audio, Ming-Chi Kuo adds that the infrared camera would allow “potentially“to introduce”gestures in the air” to control the AirPods. It would thus be possible to make various hand movements to control the earphones, similar to what Apple offers to use the Vision Pro.
According to the analyst, this new pair of AirPods would be launched in 2026. This could also coincide with Apple’s marketing of a more affordable mixed reality headset.
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