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According to a new report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple aims to start mass production of new "AirPods with camera modules" in 2026. The report comes after Bloomberg also noted Apple's plans to develop AirPods with cameras back in February. Kuo says these new AirPods will have an infrared lens similar to the Face ID module part of the iPhone and iPad. Apple is reportedly aiming to integrate camera-equipped AirPods with the Vision Pro and future Apple Vision headphones:
Additionally, the report states that the AirPods' infrared cameras can detect changes in environmental images, "potentially enabling control of mid-air movements to improve human-computer interaction."
Kuo noted that Foxconn is a "new product introduction (NPI) supplier for the infrared cameras used in AirPods." According to reports, the annual production capacity of FOXConn is planned for 18-20 million units, about 10 million AirPods.
In February, Mark Gurman Mark Gurman reported that a cell phone with a camera was just one of the ideas that Apple investigated. The company also explores smart glasses similar to the meta-light beam, as well as the smart ring of the smart ring, as well as the future version of the Apple Watch.
