“AirPods Ultra” May Be Apple’s First Headphone Product Equipped with Infrared Imaging Sensors
According to recent reports from Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, Apple is planning a new type of AirPods with a camera module "designed for Siri" integrated into the wireless headphone body. This new product is expected to be priced higher than the current $249 AirPods Pro 3, so Apple is considering using the new name "AirPods Ultra" to differentiate it from the existing Pro series in terms of positioning.
Unlike traditional cameras for taking photos or videos, Gurman previously reported that the “AirPods Ultra” will not be used to directly capture photos or videos, but will be equipped with an infrared camera that uses computer vision technology to sense the user’s surroundings and send data back to Siri. Based on this hardware foundation, the headphones will particularly enhance the Visual Intelligence feature offered on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer models, enabling the device to have stronger environmental perception capabilities in understanding scenes and recognizing objects. The principle is believed to be similar to the infrared camera currently used for Face ID on iPhones, but the application scenario has been expanded from facial recognition to understanding the surrounding environment.
As early as June 2024, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that AirPods equipped with cameras could achieve new forms of interaction such as “air gesture control.” However, in his latest statement this week, Gurman said he does not expect the new AirPods to support gesture operation functions, meaning that Apple is currently more focused on using the infrared camera as a sensor to enhance Siri’s perception capabilities, rather than directly creating a new gesture interaction paradigm.
Regarding product positioning, the market initially believed that these camera-equipped AirPods might be launched as a high-end configuration version of the AirPods Pro 3, similar to how the current AirPods 4 offers models with and without noise cancellation. However, from recent reports from multiple sources, Apple is more inclined to shape it into a completely independent “AirPods Ultra” series, with an overall positioning in the product line higher than the AirPods Pro, rather than a simple Pro derivative model.
It is worth noting that the “Ultra” brand label is rapidly penetrating Apple’s multiple product lines. Filipe Espósito from Macworld recently reported that Apple plans to launch “iPhone Ultra” and “MacBook Ultra” within the next year, along with “AirPods Ultra” to form a new Ultra product portfolio. Currently, Apple has widely adopted this naming in Apple Watch Ultra, CarPlay Ultra, and the chip series from M1 Ultra to M3 Ultra. “Ultra” is gradually becoming an important identifier for “top-of-the-line” or “enhanced experience versions” in the Apple ecosystem.
As for the specific release time of “AirPods Ultra,” it is currently undecided. If Apple intends to launch it simultaneously with the long-rumored foldable “iPhone Ultra,” then this year’s September autumn launch event would be a reasonable window. According to existing reports, the newly designed “MacBook Ultra” is expected to debut around early 2027, focusing on a series of major upgrades such as an OLED display and touch operation, continuing to enrich Apple’s hardware layout at the Ultra level.