Apple’s AirPods with AI cameras are apparently nearing production

Apple’s AirPods with cameras are approaching the stage where the company will try to mass-produce them first, Bloomberg is Mark Gurman says. Currently, Apple testers are “actively using” prototypes in the design validation phase, which is one step before the production validation phase.

The AirPods’ cameras are “not designed” to take photos or video but instead can capture “visual information” that users can ask Siri, such as asking the AI ​​assistant what they should cook with the ingredients they have in front of them, according to Gurman. They can also use cameras to help with things like turn-by-turn directions.

The new AirPods will look like the AirPods Pro 3 but have a longer stem thanks to the camera technology, Gurman says. AirPods will have a “tiny” LED light to indicate when “visuals are being uploaded to the cloud.” It seems that Apple wants to launch new AirPods sometime in the first half of 2026, but this has been pushed back following the delay of its upgraded Siri. Gurman says a standalone Siri is “on track” to arrive in September – presumably the new AirPods will launch around the same time. (AirPods Pro 3 was announced and released in September 2025.)

Apple’s push for AI-infused devices puts it in competition with Meta, which has done well with its smart glasses, and could give the company an edge over OpenAI, which is He says he is making a phone call. Apple is also developing smart glasses and an AI pen that could launch as soon as early 2027, according to Gurman.