Ming-Chi Kuo: Apple plans to mass-produce AirPods headphones with a camera by 2026

Back in February, Bloomberg reported that Apple was working on a camera-equipped model of AirPods. Now this information is confirmed by respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Here's What We Know

According to the analyst, Apple plans to mass-produce AirPods with cameras by 2026.

It will be an infrared camera - similar to the one used as part of the Face ID module on iPhones and iPads. The camera is needed so that the AirPods can work with Vision Pro and future Apple Vision headsets.

""The new AirPods is expected to be used with Vision Pro and future Apple headsets to enhance the user experience of spatial audio and strengthen the spatial computing ecosystem. For example, when a user is watching a video with Vision Pro and wearing this new AirPods, if users turn their heads to look in a specific direction, the sound source in that direction can be emphasized to enhance the spatial audio/computing experience""

In addition, the AirPods' IR camera will be able to detect changes in environmental images, potentially allowing for airborne gesture control to improve human interaction with the device.

Traditionally, the supplier will be Foxconn, whose annual capacity target is around 10 million pairs of AirPods.

Source: Medium