Apple might add cameras to AirPods because it still believes in virtual reality

Apple is still pushing its Vision Pro headsets despite weak sales

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A pair of Apple AirPods Pro wireless headphones and charging case.
A pair of Apple AirPods Pro wireless headphones and charging case.
Photo: Phil Barker/Future Publishing (Getty Images)
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Apple still believes in its Vision Pro mixed reality headsets even though sales have sputtered. CEO Tim Cook put Apple’s Vision Pro updates front and center at the beginning of his keynote address during the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10.

And on Monday, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the tech giant will be adding a feature to its headphones to enhance spatial computing for the headsets. Kuo said his latest supply chain survey indicates that Apple will mass produce AirPods with cameras by 2026. The new AirPods would be used with Vision Pro to “enhance the user experience of spatial audio and strengthen the spatial computing ecosystem,” he said.

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Apple made its big push into virtual reality in 2023. The company introduced its “mixed reality” Vision Pro headset to rival Meta’s Quest series — which have problems of their own and are far from profitable. Critics say Vision Pro is clunky and overly-expensive, and some stores are reportedly selling just a few of the headsets every week. Still, Apple has continued its crusade into the market, expanding Vision Pro sales to China in March.

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“I’ve been hearing from people all over the world about their interest in this incredible product,” Cook said at WWDC.

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Some experts believe that Apple can still succeed in its virtual reality push and that the products could even dramatically change the workplace as we know it.

Privacy issues

Privacy experts have voiced concerns about the Vision Pro headsets because of the enormous amounts of data the headsets collect, including tracking eye movements and a user’s surroundings (Apple has said it is not collecting such data nor sharing it with developers). Because new AirPods with cameras would increase the devices’ understanding of a user’s environment, it could add to privacy concerns. Not to mention that Apple said last week that it just resolved a technical problem with AirPods that enabled hackers to control a user’s audio.

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By the numbers

$3,500: Vision Pro cost.

2026: Year that AirPods with cameras would go into mass production with Foxconn as the supplier, according to Kuo.

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450,000: The top of the range of Apple Vision Pro headsets expected to sell this year, Kuo said in April, which is far fewer than the original market consensus of 800,000.