Here’s Why Apple Might Put Cameras in Your Next AirPods
What are you looking for in a new pair of headphones? High quality sound? Easily pair with your devices? Smart features to improve your daily use ? Of course, all of this. What about cameras? It may seem ridiculous, but Apple is potentially seriously considering it – and if reports are accurate, your next pair of AirPods could come with cameras attached.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo , an analyst with extensive experience covering Apple rumors , Apple does indeed plan to release AirPods with built-in cameras by 2026. However, the cameras will not be like the ones you use to take photos and videos. your iPhone; rather, they will resemble the infrared camera responsible for Face ID on your iPhone (not the selfie camera, but the one that scans your face and unlocks your phone). Kuo says Foxconn will supply IR cameras for AirPods and currently plans to service enough modules for about 10 million pairs.
Why AirPods might get cameras
So, if the cameras attached to these AirPods aren’t designed to take pictures of the sides of your head, then what are they for?
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Spatial computing. Kuo says the idea is that these AirPods will pair with Vision Pro and subsequent headsets from Apple to improve the devices’ spatial computing as well as improve spatial audio performance. If your AirPods can map your surroundings, they can provide a more realistic 3D experience when you’re looking around a room, as sounds can be artificially amplified to make them sound like they’re coming from a specific area.
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Gestures in the air. Kuo also says Apple is looking into “in-air gesture control” for AirPods, which isn’t anything special, but I imagine the concept will allow you to control your AirPods by moving your hands while listening to the earbuds rather than physically touching them. If Apple had kept the physical controls it already had, such as pinching and swiping, the inclusion of mid-air gestures could have added additional controls to the mix, such as switching spatial audio, playing a specific playlist, or starting a phone call.
Kuo isn’t the only one who thinks Apple is working on AirPods with cameras: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also reports that Apple is interested in the idea, as well as other updates to its wearable products. I’m all about hardware that improves the overall user experience. If adding cameras to AirPods makes it possible, go for it, Apple—as long as the company doesn’t try to sell me “Ear Selfies.”