Apple's AirPods with a Camera Entering the Design Verification Test Phase

According to Bloomberg citing insights from informed sources, Apple's new AirPods with built-in cameras have reached the Design Verification Test (DVT) phase, with prototypes possessing an appearance and functionality close to the final version. Following this stage is usually the Production Verification Test, which involves manufacturing early mass production samples.

The key change with this earphone model is not to turn AirPods into a shooting device, but to provide visual input to Siri with the camera. Both the left and right earbuds will have low-resolution cameras embedded to perceive the user's surrounding space and then hand this information over to AI functionality for processing.

For Apple, AirPods represent a more realistic entry point into AI hardware. Compared to Vision Pro, headphones are used more frequently and are easier to bundle with iPhone sales, making them more suitable for testing whether visual AI can enter everyday scenarios.

The uncertainty lies on the software side. Apple had planned to sell these earphones as early as the first half of this year, but after the new Siri was postponed, the launch time was delayed; the new Siri is currently scheduled to go online in September, and the underlying model has been upgraded using technology from Alphabet's Gemini.

In terms of functionality, Apple envisions scenarios where users can directly inquire about what to cook for dinner after seeing ingredients, and they can also ask the earphones to provide reminders or navigation cues based on the scene in front of them. For example, when walking and turning, AI will not only say 'turn left' but also reference specific landmarks ahead. This also brings the privacy issue to the forefront - Apple has added small LED lights in the earphones that light up when visual data is sent to the cloud, but due to the limited size of the earbuds, whether this notification is noticeable enough remains to be confirmed.

Apple is also advancing other products such as smart glasses, camera-equipped pendants, touch-screen MacBooks, foldable iPhones, and AI smart home devices. The incoming CEO John Ternus recently said to employees:

“We are about to change the world again.”