AirPods are getting a major improvement in 2026: this is coming

Rumors about AirPods with this improvement have been going around for a long time, but they seem to be coming in 2026 – this is what you can expect.

AirPods will get a major improvement in 2026

The improvement of AirPods that we expect in 2026 concerns new AirPods models with built-in cameras. Rumors about this have been around for a long time and were recently supported by X-user @Kosutami_Ito. Furthermore, there is still plenty of speculation about the precise function of the cameras. There are a number of options in that regard.

AirPods with cameras

Both Mark Gurman of Bloomberg and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have said that these AirPods are coming, probably in 2026. However, the reason for the cameras is still not clear. So far we assume two different possibilities.

First, the cameras can be internal and used in the same way as the Apple Watch’s sensors to provide health data. An infrared camera should be able to read heart rate data, so it (or a connected iPhone) can perform a similar analysis to the Apple Watch.

Second, the cameras can provide a view of the user’s surroundings, enabling visual Apple intelligent features. This is what Gurman expects from the AirPods with cameras in 2026. But there is also a third possibility.

Hand gestures

The cameras may be used to recognize hand gestures. Apple has shown with the Vision Pro that this can be done very well. Hand gestures could be a smarter and easier way to control AirPods than the current combination of taps and head gestures. These are still a bit clunky and error-prone, as you’re essentially using one tap for a whole range of functions, depending on whether it’s repeated and how quickly.

Hand gestures could make operation both more intuitive and less error-prone. And that becomes possible with cameras that work in, for example, the infrared spectrum. AirPods with cameras will almost certainly be available in 2026, but it remains to be seen what function the cameras will have. Don’t want to miss any of the developments? Then sign up for our newsletter!