Apple's AI Revolution: Camera-Equipped AirPods and Apple Watch Set for 2027 Launch

Apple's Camera Equipped AirPods and Apple Watch Could Launch as Soon as 2027

Apple is working on versions of the AirPods and Apple Watch that incorporate a camera, and the devices could be ready to launch sometime around 2027, reports Bloomberg. Apple has developed a chip codenamed "Nevis" that will be used for its camera-equipped Apple Watch, while a chip codenamed "Glennie" will be incorporated into the AirPods. Apple is aiming to have the chips ready "by around 2027," and if the chips are available early enough in the year, we could see a launch that same year. Last year, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple wants to incorporate infrared cameras into the AirPods to provide an enhanced spatial audio experience with the Vision Pro and future devices, plus cameras could also potentially support in-air gesture control, identifying hand movements. Gurman has suggested that Apple is considering cameras that would "feed data to AI." As for the Apple Watch, a future model could incorporate a camera in the screen area, while an upcoming version of the Apple Watch Ultra could have a camera near the Digital Crown. The cameras would enable Visual Intelligence features to allow users to get information about their surroundings and more tailored directions. The cameras destined for the Apple Watch and AirPods won't likely be used for things like capturing photos or FaceTime, but would instead provide visual data for on-device AI features.

AirPods and Apple Watch Models to Get Tiny AI Cameras in 2027

The cameras are expected to scan the environment and describe objects, similar to the Visual Intelligence feature on newer iPhones. Apple is also working on smart glasses that include cameras, microphones, and integrated AI, much like the Ray-Bans from Meta. The glasses are also expected by 2027, according to Gurman. Apple is developing a new chip for the smart glasses, and it is said to be based on chips that are used in the Apple Watch, so there's likely to be AI feature crossover across the devices. The cameras could be infrared sensors. In a June 2024 blog post, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple planned to mass produce new AirPods with infrared cameras by 2026. The infrared cameras could potentially enable "in-air gesture control" as well, allowing for device interaction with hand movements, according to Kuo. Given Kuo's 2026 mass production timeframe, we could potentially see the new AirPods with infrared cameras launch in 2026 or 2027.

Forget Apple Watch Ultra 3 - a model with a camera could be much closer than we thought

A new report says Apple's chips for the products could be ready in just two years Following reports that Apple could add a camera to its Apple Watch lineup in future, a new report claims chips for the device could be ready for launch by 2027, suggesting the major upgrade could be much closer than we thought. Previously, it was revealed that Apple is planning a major upgrade to its best Apple Watches turn it into a device with onboard cameras. The report indicated that Apple Watch would use onboard cameras and microphones that would "help the device see the outside world and use AI to deliver relevant information." Now, the same source, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, says the chip that powers that device could be just 18 months away. "The company is developing a chip called Nevis for the camera-equipped Apple Watch and a component named Glennie for the similarly outfitted AirPods," Gurman wrote in his latest Power On newsletter. "Apple is aiming to have those chips ready by around 2027," he continued. While we knew the expected 2025 best Apple Watch lineup - the Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch Ultra 3 - wouldn't feature cameras, as Gurman had previously suggested a camera-equipped Apple wearable was "generations away." Turns out, he might have only meant two generations away, which means that for most users, the next Apple Watch you buy might have a camera. As we've previously noted, a wearable AI smartwatch could provide users with contextual information about landmarks they see on holiday, directions, and more. It's a concept that underpinned some failed wearables like the Humane AI Pin, and would lean heavily on Apple's excellent existing Apple Intelligence Feature, Visual Intelligence. Longer-term, it could be part of a future recently alluded to by Apple's Eddy Cue, who remarked off the cuff that we might not need the best iPhones 10 years from now. Cue made his comments in the context of the rapidly evolving AI industry, so it's important not to extrapolate too much from them. However, an AI-powered smartwatch, or perhaps lightweight smart glasses (which Apple is also working on), could well be one such device that unlocks that iPhone-less future. A more cynical approach would reveal that Apple and Cue's comments are probably just a ruse to stop the US Department of Justice from blowing up its $20 billion deal with Google for the default spot as the iPhone's search engine, presumably in the hope the court is less likely to intervene if it thinks the iPhone is a dying breed. It seems unlikely Apple would jettison its obscenely successful iPhone ecosystem in favor of a niche wearable that remains an iPhone accessory at this stage. More likely, a camera-equipped Apple Watch would just be one more feature on the iPhone's already comprehensible companion - in other words, another reason for users to consider forking out for one of the best iPhones. Still, mark your calendars for 2027, as it sounds like big changes are on the way.