Report: Mini camera for Apple Watch and AirPods in planning

The fact that Apple may check the installation of cameras into its earplugs of the AirPods series has been speculated for a long time. Now there is new information on how to implement. According to the Financial news agency Bloomberg If it is apparently about scanning and describing the surroundings, similar to how you know it from the iPhone function VISUAL Intelligence. Interesting: In addition to the Airpods, Apple could also equip his Apple Watch with a mini camera in order to give it a “similar functionality”. So far, computer clocks from the manufacturer have never had a picture recognition, instead different sensors are installed, such as for movement, blood oxygen, 1-channel ECG and heart rate.

For the first time, sensors in Apple plugs

The fact that the Airpods could get sensors for the first time in the future is already foreseeable from previous developments. The recently published Powerbeats Pro 2 can measure the heart rate directly on the ear with a special look, whereby Apple’s Apple Watch makes the first place due to its accuracy. In addition to image recognition, a camera in Airpods could also be used for explanation and interaction with the environment for gesture control.

Last year, the well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had already predicted that Apple could incorporate infrared cameras to enable “gesture control in the air”. It is also clear that Apple is interested in Meta’s approach, whose Ray-Ban smart glasses are to be sold quite well. Apple’s idea is initially to launch smartlasses without a display, but basically “real” AR glasses remain the goal.

Product innovation plan for 2027

However, camera can hardly be expected with an immediate release of Airpods and Apple Watch. According to Bloomberg, the products are part of Apple’s production -unovation plan for the coming years, more precisely for 2027. So there may be three products with Visual Intelligence: In addition to Airpods and Apple Watch, the smart glass without a screen.

Before that, Apple still has to solve some problems with its in-house Ki system Apple Intelligence and voice assistant Siri. After all: It was only this week that a research team from the group revealed that it is working on a new fast image identification model.