(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)
Recent rumors have suggested Apple is experimenting with adding a camera to its smartwatches, but it appears that might not happen. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, people familiar with the matter at Apple have said development on the project has ended.
The company reportedly wanted to trial a camera on its main Apple Watch and Watch Ultra models to make better use of AI features. Previous rumors said it was aiming for a 2027 release, which would have likely been the Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4.
According to Bloomberg's sources, Apple is continuing to develop a model of AirPods with a camera. It’s unclear how this would work in practice; the camera could sit on the earbuds themselves, or as part of the charging case. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed this week that this model, expected to be the AirPods Pro 3, won't arrive until 2026.
Bloomberg's report also follows up on Apple’s heavily rumored smart glasses. It says the company is now eyeing a 2026 reveal for one of its two expected models. A previous report from Bloomberg said Apple wouldn’t release the glasses until 2027 or later, but the latest intel suggests it's ramping up production faster than originally anticipated.
Apple will likely focus on a pair of glasses without augmented reality (AR) functionality as a rival to Meta’s Ray-Ban collaboration. They're expected to feature both cameras and microphones to allow you to interact with Apple Intelligence.
This comes after Google showed off prototype Android XR glasses at I/O this week. As we found in or hands on, the hardware looks promising, and it should benefit from changing attitudes about smart glasses. ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Apple’s former Chief Design Officer Jony Ive are also working on future AI-powered products, they announced this week, though they're not expected to be wearables.
Elsewhere at Apple, it may be that future versions of the iPhone will see price increases. President Donald Trump announced on Friday he would be placing a 25% tariff on all iPhone imports if Apple refuses to move production of phones to the United States. Apple was reportedly already considering a price rise for its iPhone 17 release. The company has yet to comment on Trump's demands.