There are rumors that AirPods with IR cameras are coming, but we’ll have to wait a little longer to find out
Rumor has it that Apple is planning to add a new model to its lineup of top-of-the-line AirPods: AirPods with built-in infrared cameras. These can be paired with a Vision Pro headset and allow for a spatial audio experience that changes as you move your head.
This comes from Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuowho is more often than not right when it comes to Apple predictions. The IR-compatible AirPods won’t be available anytime soon, however, as mass production is expected to begin in 2026.
It’s worth noting that in February, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also reported that Apple was looking at AirPods with cameras. Those are two good sources to support this rumor, although of course Apple’s plans can always change.
The camera system in the AirPods will be similar to the technology used for Face ID on the iPhone, Kuo said. They would be enough to detect when someone turns their head, so that certain sounds can be amplified or attenuated accordingly. When you’re in a 3D virtual environment, those kinds of audio tricks can be very effective.
What the future may bring us
Another thing the cameras might be able to detect is hand gestures, Kuo says. Gestures can already be used for actions in the Vision Pro, but as our Apple Vision Pro review makes clear, there’s definitely room for improvement in this area.
While sales of the Vision Pro don’t appear to have been particularly strong, Apple is said to be pushing ahead with a cheaper model – which coincidentally (or not?) would also hit the consumer market sometime in 2026.
When iOS 16 released in 2022, it brought a personalized spatial audio feature for the AirPods that worked using an iPhone for the 3D scanning. These immersive experiences seem to be something Apple is particularly interested in.
We’ll no doubt hear more rumors and leaks about camera-equipped AirPods in the coming months. In the meantime, the standard AirPods models are also reportedly getting a refresh this year or next year, so we can apparently expect both the 4th-generation standard AirPods and the Apple AirPods Pro 3 in the not-too-distant future.