Apple will launch new AirPods featuring infrared cameras to improve spatial experiences with the Vision Pro headset, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.


In a post on Medium, Kuo explained that Apple plans to mass-produce new AirPods with integrated IR camera modules by 2026. These IR cameras will apparently be similar to the iPhone‘s Face ID receiver.

The purpose of IR cameras on AirPods is related to Apple Vision Pro and future headsets from the company, enhancing the spatial computing and audio experience. The IR cameras can detect environmental image changes, facilitating a broader range of gestures to improve user interaction. For example, if a user watches a video using ‌Apple Vision Pro‌ and the new AirPods, and turns their head to look in a specific direction, the sound source in that direction can be “emphasized to enhance the spatial audio/computing experience.”

Foxconn is said to be the supplier of the new IR component, with the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer preparing to provide enough parts for about 10 million AirPods initially. It is not clear which AirPods model is likely to get the feature first, but the AirPods Pro may be most likely since they already offer lossless audio exclusively with the Vision Pro.

Popular Stories

iOS 18 to Bring These 5 New Features to AirPods Pro

Apple’s upcoming iOS 18 software update is packed with features for supported iPhones, but it also promises to make your AirPods Pro experience better with a handful of sophisticated new capabilities that draw from machine learning improvements and AI enhancements. The following five AirPods Pro features are expected to arrive later this year, when iOS 18 is released to the general public in …

International Roaming Outage Affecting Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile Customers [Updated]

There appears to be an ongoing outage with international roaming across multiple cellular networks, with Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile customers abroad complaining about the issue on social networks and cellular community forums. Customers traveling internationally have been without service since late Wednesday for hours at a time, with many losing cellular, text, and data. That has left many…

Alleged First Look at Apple Watch X / Series 10 With 2-Inch Display

Apple is rumored to be planning a revamp of the Apple Watch for the device’s tenth anniversary, and 91mobiles claims to have sourced CAD renders of what could be the “Apple Watch X” or Apple Watch Series 10 from industry insiders. The site claims that the renders are of a “larger” model featuring a 2-inch display. The current Apple Watch Series 9 has a 1.7-inch display, while the Apple Watch …

Report: Apple Planning to Debut New Battery Replacement Method With iPhone 16

Apple is working on technology to simplify iPhone battery replacement that could debut later this year, The Information reports. Alleged iPhone 16 Pro battery with new metal casing. The move comes in response to a new EU law requiring smartphone manufacturers to ensure batteries can be replaced by owners using easily accessible tools by 2025. According to sources involved in the iPhone’s…

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max and More

Apple today released new firmware update for several products, including the Lightning and USB-C versions of the AirPods Pro 2, the first-generation AirPods Pro, the AirPods Max, the second and third-generation AirPods, the Beats Fit Pro, and the PowerBeats Pro. The second-generation AirPods Pro models, the PowerBeats Pro, and the Beats Fit Pro now have firmware version 6F8, up from 6F7,…

Hands-On With the iPad Pro’s Nano-Texture Glass – Is It Worth the Upgrade?

The M4 iPad Pro models that Apple released earlier this year have a display upgrade option that allows you to purchase nano-texture display glass, which is supposed to cut down on glare. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We’ve already reviewed the iPad Pro, but we thought we’d revisit the nano-texture glass upgrade to see if it’s worth the purchase price. First…