Rather than functioning as conventional cameras, the sensors are expected to feed information into Visual Intelligence. This would allow Siri to answer questions about what is around the wearer or save information they encounter throughout the day.
This is not the first report suggesting Apple is developing AirPods with cameras. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman previously claimed the earbuds would collect “visual information in low resolution,” effectively acting as eyes for Apple’s AI features.
Potential uses could include asking Siri questions about nearby objects, saving information without taking out your iPhone, or receiving more detailed turn-by-turn directions based on the wearer’s surroundings.
The AirPods shown in the video resemble a slightly thicker version of the AirPods Pro 3, with longer stems seemingly providing room for the additional hardware.
Apple has not officially announced the device, so its final name, price, features, and launch date remain unknown. However, previous reports suggest the AirPods could arrive as early as September alongside Apple’s next generation of iPhones.
These better be very visually distinct from ordinary AirPods - I do not want to be mistaken for the sort of twat who would wear something with a camera in it 🫤
Yeah, as a glasses-wearer, I am seriously thinking about getting some totally rimless glasses so no one thinks I have the pervert glasses…
I grew up on TNG and always wanted my glasses to have the powers of Geordi’s VISOR… but not like this…
I did exactly that when I bought my new glasses a few months ago. I chose thin wire frames.
We’re gonna bring wire rims back in style!
I’m hoping this is bullshit, but this is a fast track out of the Apple ecosystem for me.
If anyone actually wants this they they don’t have the intelligence to consider the consequences.
Either way I hope it’s announced this month as I need new headphones.
Maybe BS, but I’d wager only partly true, because the kind of sensors needed for basic local environment awareness aren’t “cameras” in the usual sense even if the have an array of photoreceptors like a camera uses. It might be better described as a higher resolution version of the IR light detectors currently used.
Regardless, given a few undeniable technical realities, like ridiculously tiny batteries and the bandwidth requirements of video vs available BT throughput, there is 0% chance of these earbuds becoming pervglasses-like surveillance wear.
Reactionaries and sourgrapists don’t give a rats ass about truth, however, so prepare for sensationalist headlines no matter what.
That’s a really good point about the sort of image quality they could capture and transmit given the tiny battery… but if they sacrifice the battery life or NC development to add in some AI data gathering it’s a step too far for me.