Apple’s next AirPods Pro could feature cameras

If we were to tell you five years ago that a pair of AirPods could soon be able to track your head’s movements to implement gestures, or scan your ears for potential hearing loss, you likely wouldn’t have believed us. And yet, the AirPods Pro Gen 2 can do all of these things today, and then some.

However, Apple has much bigger plans for the next AirPods Pro. As per rumours, these could include built in cameras and even heart rate sensors.

Apple AirPods Pro Gen 3: What we know so far

As per Mark Gurman, Apple is continuing to look for ways in which a tiny camera can be included on future AirPods. While it isn’t clear what features these cameras will provide, we can imagine a handful of use-cases already.

Firstly, the new sensors could help locating a pair of lost AirPods, with some visual cues aiding the audio cues that can be triggered from the Find My app. As per Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the cameras could act as infrared sensors too, similar to the Face ID scanners on the front of newer iPhones.

These scanners on the AirPods may be able to offer enhanced new experiences with devices like the Apple Vision Pro, or may even support in-air hand-gestures, like was the case with phones like the Google’s Pixel 4.

Kuo had predicted that these earbuds could go into production by 2026, and launch later that year, or in 2027. If these timelines are true, the next Pro AirPods could still be a long way out.

AirPods Pro Gen 3: Other sensors that could be making their way

Other reports over the years have suggested that the AirPods Pro Gen 3 could come with multiple health-tracking features like a temperature sensor and heart-rate monitor. These are expected to offer tracking of health vitals, but we’re not very sure if such tracking would be possible via optical scanners in the ear.

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Moreover, tracking metrics like the heart rate is something the Apple Watch series already does well, and cannibalising on its own product doesn’t seem very Apple-like. More details on the earbuds should start surfacing online over the next year. Until then, stay tuned to Unboxed by Croma for the latest in all things tech.