Apple's Camera-Equipped AirPods Coming in Late 2027 Alongside 20th Anniversary iPhone

Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:25 am PDT by Juli Clover

Apple is working on camera-equipped AirPods that are expected to launch in late 2027 alongside the 20th anniversary iPhone and a next-generation foldable iPhone, reports Bloomberg.

The AirPods will be Apple's first wearable AI product. The cameras in the AirPods are not designed for taking photos and videos, and will instead send information about the wearer's surroundings to Siri. ‌Siri‌ will be able to answer questions about objects and whatever the wearer is looking at. Contextual reminders are a possibility, as are improved turn-by-turn directions when walking.

Apple already has a similar feature available through Visual Intelligence, which allows ‌Siri‌ to give details on photos that the user captures. In iOS 27, ‌Visual Intelligence‌ is accessible through the Camera app with a new ‌Siri‌ Mode.

The AirPods will look similar to the current AirPods Pro 3, but there will be cameras embedded in the stem. An included light will inform people around the wearer when the cameras are feeding data to ‌Siri‌.

Multiple rumors, including from Bloomberg, have previously suggested the AirPods with cameras could come in 2026. Apple apparently wanted to release the AirPods in 2026, but Apple's ongoing struggles with AI and a need to develop visual models capable of identifying objects around the user caused the AirPods to be delayed.

Bloomberg says all three devices are being tested with iOS 28, but timing "remains fluid and could change." Apple also has smart glasses in the works that could come as "early as the tail end of next year," which would presumably see the AirPods and the glasses launch at around the same time.

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