Apple has stated that it would begin mass manufacturing of AirPods with an infrared camera in 2026

Apple is reportedly developing an AirPods model with a camera sensor and could begin mass production in 2026. Kuo said the new AirPods will be equipped with infrared camera sensors to support Face ID on the iPhone and iPad. The idea behind this new feature is likely to integrate AirPods with the Vision Pro and future Vision devices from the company. Ming-Chi Kuo said Foxconn will begin mass production of AirPods equipped with infrared cameras in 2026, with a planned production capacity of about 18-20 million units, or 10 million pairs of AirPods.

In addition to Kuo, Bloomberg's Mark Gurnman also said earlier this year that Apple is working on installing low-resolution camera sensors in AirPods that can be used to capture and process user data using artificial intelligence (please read Apple Intelligence). According to reports, the project, codenamed B798, would allow users to take advantage of the potential benefits of smart glasses without buying lenses and frames.

In May of this year, Kuo Ming-Chi also reported that Apple is developing a 20-inch foldable MacBook that will begin mass production in 2026 and start shipping in 2027. This report was later confirmed by Haitong Securities analyst Jeff Pu, who also revealed that a 7.9-inch foldable iPhone is in the works.