Apple just reached a major milestone in the development of AirPods with cameras, according to a new report.
Bloomberg reports today that Apple’s work on AirPods with integrated cameras has “entered a phase where prototypes feature near-final design and capabilities.”
According to the report, there will be a camera on both the right and left earbuds. The cameras, however, will not be used to capture photos or videos. Instead, they will serve as Siri’s “eyes” and capture the environment around the user in low resolution.
The idea is to allow users to ask questions about an item they might be looking at. For example, they might be faced with food ingredients and ask what they should cook for dinner. It’s a similar experience to what someone gets when uploading photos to AI services like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or the iPhone’s own Visual Intelligence feature.
Apple has also been working on other uses for AI cameras. The device could give the user a reminder based on something the camera sees, or it could use external images to provide more advanced step-by-step instructions. The AI could cite a specific waypoint later when telling users when to turn.
These AirPods are said to have longer stems than Regular AirPods Pro to accommodate the cameras. Otherwise, they will look practically the same.
AirPods with cameras will include a small LED that “lights up when visual data is entered into the cloud.”
The AirPods are said to be in advanced testing, with testers within Apple using prototypes in the Design Validation Testing, or DVT, stage of development. The next and final stage is the “Production Validation Testing,” or PVT. This is when Apple will begin early mass production of the product.
In terms of release date, Bloomberg says that Apple had planned a launch as early as the first half of this year. That release was postponed due to ongoing delays affecting Apple’s next-generation version of Siri. AirPods have been in development at Apple for four years.
Apple reportedly expects “strong demand” for AirPods with a camera and is working on safe components for mass production.
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