AirPods with built-in cameras have "reached the late stages of development," according to a recent report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Tiny infrared cameras will be embedded in both the left and right AirPods, and they will essentially serve as eyes for Siri, the report said. In particular, the cameras will help to enhance the Visual Intelligence feature on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer, and a small LED light on the earbuds will indicate when the cameras are in active use.
"The idea is to let users ask questions about an item they might be looking at," said Gurman. If someone is standing in the kitchen and has various ingredients in front of them, for example, they could ask Siri for dinner ideas.
Given the AirPods with cameras will likely be more expensive than the AirPods Pro 3 ($249), Gurman said Apple is likely considering "AirPods Ultra" branding.
It was initially rumored that the camera-equipped AirPods would be a higher-end AirPods Pro 3 configuration, much like the AirPods 4 are available in variants with or without active noise cancellation. However, it is increasingly sounding like the earbuds will instead be "AirPods Ultra" positioned above the AirPods Pro entirely.
Macworld's Filipe Espósito recently reported that Apple plans to release an "iPhone Ultra" and a "MacBook Ultra" within the next year, so "AirPods Ultra" would be part of a trio of new "Ultra" devices. Apple already uses "Ultra" branding for the Apple Watch Ultra, CarPlay Ultra, and the M1 Ultra to M3 Ultra series of chips.
It is not entirely clear when the "AirPods Ultra" will arrive, but September of this year is a possibility if Apple plans to announce them alongside the "iPhone Ultra," its long-rumored foldable iPhone. A redesigned "MacBook Ultra" with an OLED display and touch-screen capabilities is expected to follow by early 2027.
