“Apple’s AirPods Pro 4 might be the first to sport a camera, according to a new report. But don’t expect to see it in the next generation of regular AirPods or AirPods Max. Here’s the latest buzz.
For months, we’ve been hearing whispers of camera-equipped AirPods, with launch dates swinging like a pendulum between 2026 and 2027. But now, a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests that the AirPods Pro 4 could be the first to snap a pic.
Gurman reports that Apple is working on the next-gen AirPods Pro and a new H3 chip to power them. And as part of that, Apple is exploring the idea of embedding cameras into the device. So, could we see camera-equipped AirPods next year? Maybe!
Respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo first reported on camera-equipped AirPods back in 2024, suggesting they’d help deliver more precise spatial audio in the Vision Pro. An Apple patent filing later that year seemed to confirm the idea. Kuo also suggested that the cameras could recognize gestures for app or system control, and Gurman hints that they could work with unspecified Apple Intelligence features.
But don’t expect to see these cameras in the next generation of regular AirPods or AirPods Max. Gurman thinks it’s unlikely Apple will bring heart rate sensing to the less premium models, let alone cameras. And the AirPods Max are in a sort of limbo, too popular to discontinue but not popular enough for big investments.
So, if cameras are indeed coming to AirPods, it looks like the AirPods Pro 4 are our best bet. But even that might be a while off. The first AirPods Pro were around from 2019 to 2022, and the AirPods Pro 2 from 2022 to 2025. If Apple sticks to that timescale, we shouldn’t expect the AirPods Pro 4 until 2028. So, camera-equipped AirPods might still be a few years away.
In the meantime, why not check out our picks for the best earbuds for every budget? Or read about our experience with the AirPods Pro 3 and the new ‘Super Mic’ feature on the Nothing Ear (3) earbuds!”
