Apple’s AirPods with cameras reportedly won’t arrive until 2027, despite a recent leaked video appearing to show the feature in action.
According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple is still working on AirPods Pro 4 with cameras, but the company isn’t expected to announce them until sometime in 2027. The delay appears to be linked to product development issues that still need to be resolved.
The leaked video has added some confusion around Apple’s plans. The footage reportedly showed an earlier AirPods Pro 3 version of the camera-equipped earbuds, which sources say has since been shelved. That would explain why the video appeared despite the product not being close to launch.
The cameras themselves are expected to serve a very different purpose from those found on Meta’s smart glasses. Rather than letting users capture photos and videos, the sensors could allow the AirPods to understand what is happening around the wearer and provide information for AI-powered features.
The leaked demo showed the technology scanning a book, suggesting the cameras could provide visual information for Apple’s AI features. The sensors could also have accessibility applications, although the source doesn’t specify exactly which features Apple is planning.
There is also a practical reason why Apple may limit what the cameras can do. AirPods are considerably smaller than camera-equipped smart glasses, leaving less room for sensors and battery capacity. The hardware could potentially gather enough information for AI analysis without being capable of producing conventional photos or video.
That distinction could also help Apple avoid some of the privacy concerns surrounding wearable cameras. Meta’s camera-equipped glasses have faced criticism over their ability to discreetly capture images and video of people, creating concerns about how the technology can be used in public.
Apple, therefore, has a difficult balance to strike. Cameras could make AirPods more useful for AI and accessibility, and removing photo and video capture could give the company a way to offer some of those benefits without introducing the same privacy concerns.
For now, though, none of this is official. The leaked AirPods Pro 3 footage appears to relate to a product that has been shelved, while the camera-equipped AirPods Pro 4 are reportedly still in development for a potential 2027 launch.
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