A second source corroborates the move to infrared sensors, hinting at a potential shift toward gesture control
The prospect of Apple AirPods Pro that can ‘see’ is gaining traction, with another industry insider suggesting the Cupertino brand is preparing an infrared-camera-enabled hearable.
Hardware tipster Kosutami has claimed that the “next AirPods Pro can see around you,” suggesting the inclusion of infrared (IR) sensors designed to map a user’s surroundings.
This latest potential intel adds more weight to the initial report from renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo last month, which first detailed Apple’s ambitions to turn the earbud into a primary sensor node for spatial computing.
Next AirPods Pro can see around you. At same price avail.
— Kosutami (@Kosutami_Ito) February 8, 2026
While Apple has historically refreshed the AirPods Pro on a three-year cycle—and the current AirPods Pro 3 only launched last fall—the rapid pace of these reports suggests a new ‘ultra’ tier is in development.
This would see Apple mirror the strategy it currently uses for the standard AirPods 4, offering a ‘base’ Pro model alongside a higher-end version equipped with these specialized cameras.
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What an infrared sensor would enable
In case you were wondering, this upgrade isn’t intended to support traditional photography.
Instead, it’s said to be designed to unlock Apple’s ‘visual intelligence’ features, allowing the earbuds to understand hand gestures and environmental context without requiring the user to touch the stems.
There is even speculation that Apple could remove the pressure-sensitive stems entirely on this model, moving to a fully gesture-based interaction system that recognizes “in-air” commands.
The hardware driving this shift is also rumored to be the H3 chip, a next-generation processor capable of handling the high computational load required for real-time spatial mapping.
According to Kuo’s initial report, these IR cameras will facilitate a more immersive spatial audio experience by tracking head and hand movements with extreme precision, particularly when paired with the Vision Pro.
While a launch is most likely during the brand’s annual September event, it’s not yet clear whether the rumored development would result in a 2026 or 2027 debut. Stay tuned for more on this one over the coming months.
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