Apple AR glasses, smart glasses, and AirPods with cameras have to happen because Apple has to extend AI beyond the iPhone.

This is where the AirPods with IR cameras would come into play. Splitting some of that hardware into other areas could give Apple a little more flexibility. Or, potentially, give users extra options to upgrade the experience from a base device.

Apple continues to explore the idea of releasing camera-equipped AirPods in the future, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman

Apple's AirPods could offer more than just sound, with the personal audio accessories still anticipated to gain cameras at some point in the future, and there's patent filings to prove it.

In June 2024, Kuo had revealed that Apple plans to begin mass production of these new AirPods with infrared cameras by 2026. The infrared camera element in the new AirPods is likely to be similar to the iPhone's Face ID receiver.