Apple’s camera-equipped AirPods were reportedly meant to launch today, but have been delayed

Apple reportedly came close to introducing a much more ambitious version of AirPods at its “Surprise and shine” event today, with plans for earbuds equipped with cameras said to have been pushed back at a late stage.

According to reporting from MacRumors, citing Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple had intended to unveil high-end in-ear AirPods featuring small cameras capable of analyzing the wearer’s surroundings. The product is now reportedly expected next year instead.

The cameras would not be intended for taking conventional photographs or recording video. Instead, they are understood to form part of Apple’s wider Visual Intelligence plans, allowing the earbuds to provide contextual information about objects and surroundings to Siri and other intelligence features.

Apple has already offered a glimpse at how the technology could work. A demonstration discovered in Apple software previously showed camera-equipped AirPods being used to identify the title of a book held in front of the wearer, with Siri then able to act on that visual information.

The reported delay means Apple’s AirPods announcements today may be more conventional than they could have been. AirPods 5 are widely expected to appear at the event, while the more futuristic camera-equipped model now appears to be part of Apple’s 2027 product roadmap.

The project could ultimately turn AirPods into more than an audio accessory, giving Apple another wearable device capable of understanding the physical world around its user without requiring them to point an iPhone camera at something.