Apple AirPods could be getting cameras for in-air hand gestures

A new report from an industry analyst and renowned Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo states Apple is preparing to add infrared cameras to its AirPods line-up.

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Kuo's report cites a supply chain survey that points to Apple using these upgraded AirPods with Vision Pro goggles will enable a more lifelike experience in spatial computing environments (Apple's virtual/augmented reality). Kuo wrote the new AirPods would feature infrared sensors similar to those present on current-gen iPhones, which are used for the facial recognition feature, FaceID.

In addition to improving the Vision Pro experience, the next-gen AirPods could enable in-air hand gestures. A February report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman stated that Apple began an investigation into cameras being implemented into AirPods under the codename B798 and that investigation started in 2023. A team was tasked with fitting low-resolution camera sensors into earbuds about the size of today's AirPods.

Moreover, these cameras were designed to capture data that was interpreted by an AI and then converted into a form of assistance for the user.