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Apple Testing Low-Resolution Camera Prototypes in AirPods Ahead of Possible 2026 Launch
Apple is advancing prototypes of AirPods equipped with cameras that feed low-resolution visual data to Siri for queries on cooking and navigation. The devices, which resemble AirPods Pro 3 but feature longer stems, were originally eyed for a first-half 2026 launch that has been delayed. The Verge reported the developments citing Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
May 7, 3:39 PM·1m read1 source
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Apple testers are actively using prototypes of AirPods with cameras that are in the design validation test stage, one step before the production validation test stage, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported. The company is nearing a stage where it will test early mass production of the devices. The AirPods cameras aren't designed to snap photos or video.
Instead they can take in visual information in low resolution that users can query Siri about. Users will be able to ask Siri what they should cook with the ingredients they have in front of them using the AirPods cameras. They may also use the cameras to help with turn-by-turn directions.
These new AirPods will look like the AirPods Pro 3 but have longer stems due to the camera technology. The AirPods will have a small LED light to indicate when visual data is being fed into the cloud. Apple wanted to launch the new AirPods as early as sometime in the first half of 2026.
That planned launch was pushed following delays to its upgraded Siri. The improved Siri is on track to hit in September. Gurman said the new AirPods might launch around that same timeframe. The AirPods Pro 3 were announced and released in September 2025.
The Verge reported that Apple's push into AI-infused gadgets will put it in competition with Meta, which has had success with its smart glasses. Apple is also developing smart glasses and an AI pendant that could launch as soon as early 2027, according to Gurman.
