Apple Pushes Camera AirPods to 2027 as iPhone 18 Event Spotlights AirPods 5
Updated
Updated · What Hi-Fi? · Sep 9
Apple Pushes Camera AirPods to 2027 as iPhone 18 Event Spotlights AirPods 5
3 articles · Updated · What Hi-Fi? · Sep 9
Summary
Apple’s camera-equipped AirPods were absent from the Sept. 9 iPhone 18 launch, reinforcing reports that the product has slipped to a 2027 release.
The delay leaves the event focused on AirPods 5 and the foldable iPhone Duo while giving Apple more time to resolve technical limits around processing, battery life and feature integration.
Reports have said the earbuds would use embedded IR cameras for augmented-reality and Visual Intelligence tasks—such as recognizing objects—rather than for conventional photo or video capture.
Privacy concerns around always-on wearable cameras and Apple’s emphasis on on-device, privacy-focused AI could shape the product’s final design if it reaches market in 2027.