Apple is preparing to mass-produce AirPods with a camera in 2026

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo told that Apple’s new supply chain hints that the company is preparing to mass-produce AirPods with an infrared camera similar to the iPhone’s Face ID receiver as early as 2026.

Foxconn will be the supplier of new products. They plan to produce about 18-20 million units annually, i.e. about 9-10 million AirPods. Kuo notes that the actual demand will depend on the market conditions.

The new headphones are expected to be used in conjunction with Vision Pro. When a user watches a video with the headset and headphones on and turns their head, the sound source in that direction can be emphasized to enhance spatial audio.

The infrared camera in the headphones will also be able to detect changes in the environment and potentially enable additional gestures for interaction. Apple has also already filed relevant patents for the use of such technologies.

In February, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also reported that the company was working on headphones with a built-in camera. He said that such headphones “could be used to collect data that would be processed by artificial intelligence and help people in their daily routines.”