Apple's Camera Equipped AirPods and Apple Watch Could Launch as Soon as 2027

Apple is working on versions of the AirPods and Apple Watch that incorporate a camera, and the devices could be ready to launch sometime around 2027, reports Bloomberg.

airpods pro purple
Apple has developed a chip codenamed "Nevis" that will be used for its camera-equipped Apple Watch, while a chip codenamed "Glennie" will be incorporated into the AirPods. Apple is aiming to have the chips ready "by around 2027," and if the chips are available early enough in the year, we could see a launch that same year.

Last year, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple wants to incorporate infrared cameras into the AirPods to provide an enhanced spatial audio experience with the Vision Pro and future devices, plus cameras could also potentially support in-air gesture control, identifying hand movements. Gurman has suggested that Apple is considering cameras that would "feed data to AI."

As for the Apple Watch, a future model could incorporate a camera in the screen area, while an upcoming version of the Apple Watch Ultra could have a camera near the Digital Crown. The cameras would enable Visual Intelligence features to allow users to get information about their surroundings and more tailored directions.

The cameras destined for the Apple Watch and AirPods won't likely be used for things like capturing photos or FaceTime, but would instead provide visual data for on-device AI features.

Related Forums: AirPods, Apple Watch

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Top Rated Comments

Jumpthesnark Avatar
8 weeks ago
MR doesn't mention until the third paragraph, and not at all in the headline, that they would be infrared cameras. And saves for the final paragraph that the cameras aren't for taking photos, FaceTime videos, etc. Why not call them infrared sensors for clarity, MR?

So here come the comments from people who are outraged at the privacy concerns because they think these are cameras that work like iPhone cameras to capture photos and videos. Yay clicks!
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
routine_analyst Avatar
8 weeks ago
These are sensors...

Apple put sensors in the beats headphones for heart rate. And made the actual audio worse.

What do you think they'll do here?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B-Mc-C Avatar
8 weeks ago
The new AirPods will be able to capture photos of the inner ear in never-before-seen levels of detail!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ppdix Avatar
8 weeks ago
Man. we've been waiting for Dick Tracy like FaceTime since the Apple Watch launched. and now the camera won't be available to shoot selfies or video calls? That is the dumbest move on apple. Wait until samsung comes up with a watch that does what people want and then 3 years later Apple will do it too...
This is getting ridiculous.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fehhkk Avatar
8 weeks ago

The new AirPods will be able to capture photos of the inner ear in never-before-seen levels of detail!
New Apple Health monitor: Ear canal wax buildup
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
crawfish963 Avatar
8 weeks ago
Can we just, like, get iOS software working right and make Siri useful first?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)