Apple will finish developing AirPods with a camera and soon begin mass production.

Apple has finished work on AirPods with cameras and is preparing for mass testing

According to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, the company has already completed development of AirPods equipped with built‑in cameras. They are now in an active prototype testing phase, and the next step is serial production validation.

What the cameras do
* Low resolution – the camera isn’t meant for full‑scale photo/video capture but can transmit “low‑resolution visual data.”

* Siri support – the captured images are used by the AI assistant to provide more accurate answers.
*Example*: a user asks, “what can I make from what’s in front of me?” and Siri analyzes the contents.

* Navigation – the cameras can also serve as an auxiliary tool for spatial orientation.

Appearance and functional details
* The new design will resemble AirPods Pro 3 but with longer stems.

* The earbuds feature a small LED indicator that signals when visual data is being sent to the cloud.

Current status and release plans
Testing prototypes are actively used by testers. The next phase is serial production. Release timeline was planned for the first half of 2026, but has been delayed due to updates to Siri. The AI version is ready for release in September; new AirPods may appear at the same time.

How this fits into Apple’s strategy
* Competition with Meta – the company already successfully promotes smart glasses, and AirPods with cameras will strengthen its position in the AI device segment.

* OpenAI – rumors of an OpenAI smartphone could pose a challenge; having proprietary glasses and a wearable with AI will help Apple maintain leadership.

* Future products – Apple is developing smart glasses and a “wearable” with AI features that are slated for launch early next year.

Thus, Apple is almost ready to launch AirPods with cameras, and new devices with AI technologies could appear in the coming months.