Report says Apple is testing AirPods with cameras for a 2027 launch

In short: A report says Apple is working on AirPods with tiny cameras and a second foldable iPhone, with the camera AirPods aimed for late 2027.

What happened

A new report from Bloomberg, shared by The Verge, says Apple is testing a future version of AirPods that includes small cameras. The report says Apple is still on schedule to launch these “camera AirPods” in late 2027.

According to the report, the cameras would sit in the AirPods stems. The earbuds may also include small lights that show when data is being uploaded to the cloud (the cloud is just other computers on the internet, like a remote storage and processing room).

The idea is that these cameras could help Siri understand what you are looking at. The report describes this as giving Siri “visual context,” meaning Siri could use the camera view to better answer questions about your surroundings (like a helper that can see what you see, not just hear what you say).

The Verge also points to another part of the same reporting, which mentions a second-generation foldable iPhone. This would follow a first foldable iPhone that the report suggests could arrive as soon as this fall.

Why it matters

If Apple adds cameras to earbuds, it could change what people expect from “hands-free” help. It could also raise new privacy questions, since a camera in something as small as AirPods could be easy to miss. The report says Apple may use indicator lights, but it is still unclear what features would ship and how Apple would handle consent and privacy in everyday use.

Source: The Verge AI