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I'm already dreading Apple's camera-equipped AirPods (Engadget, 5/7)
https://www.engadget.com/2167325/im-already-dreading-apples-camera-equipped-airpods/Well, it seems like those-rumored AirPods with cameras are close to being real, according to the latest report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The new earbuds are said to use low-resolution cameras on their stalks to capture low-resolution imagery, which will ultimately be fed to Apple's long-delayed AI Siri assistant. And the more I hear about them, the more they sound like Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, just without the ability to take clear photos and videos.
The camera-equipped Airpods are reportedly in Apple's "design validation testing" (DVT) stage, where workers are using prototypes to test their capabilities. There's no word on when we may actually see them, but according to Gurman they were initially slated to debut "as early as the first half" of 2026, only to be pushed back by AI Siri delays. Now, he believes that Siri upgrade will arrive in September (likely alongside the foldable iPhone and iPhone 18 models).
-snip-
But even if the new AirPods will have a low-resolution view of the world, they'll still technically be yet another surveillance device, and that alone may turn off privacy-focused users who've already written off Meta's smart glasses. Gurman reports they may have some sort of indicator of when the cameras are active, which is the least Apple could do.
I get it, Apple and all of its compatriots want to make using their AI devices seamless. Why pull out your phone? Why even ask Siri a question aloud? Just let the AI device deliver information directly to your ear holes, while your brain gets all the smoother.
-snip-
The camera-equipped Airpods are reportedly in Apple's "design validation testing" (DVT) stage, where workers are using prototypes to test their capabilities. There's no word on when we may actually see them, but according to Gurman they were initially slated to debut "as early as the first half" of 2026, only to be pushed back by AI Siri delays. Now, he believes that Siri upgrade will arrive in September (likely alongside the foldable iPhone and iPhone 18 models).
-snip-
But even if the new AirPods will have a low-resolution view of the world, they'll still technically be yet another surveillance device, and that alone may turn off privacy-focused users who've already written off Meta's smart glasses. Gurman reports they may have some sort of indicator of when the cameras are active, which is the least Apple could do.
I get it, Apple and all of its compatriots want to make using their AI devices seamless. Why pull out your phone? Why even ask Siri a question aloud? Just let the AI device deliver information directly to your ear holes, while your brain gets all the smoother.
-snip-