AirPods Pro 4: Is Apple planning headphones with cameras?
According to a new X post by the tipster Kosutami the Apple AirPods Pro 4 will be able to perceive the wearer’s surroundings, presumably using cameras in the earbuds. The supply chain analyst Ming Chi Kuo also assumes that the AirPods Pro of 2026 will receive a “more significant” hardware upgrade in the form of at least one tiny infrared camera.
Kuo had previously explained that the Apple AirPods Pro 4, thanks to infrared cameras, will recognize hand gestures and in connection with Apple’s Vision Pro headset could offer an improved spatial sound experience.
Kosutami added that the new AirPods Pro will be available at the same price as the current model. This contradicts earlier rumors that the next AirPods Pro would be a second version of the AirPods Pro 3 from this year and would be available alongside the current model in the product range.
Apple AirPods Pro 4 or AirPods Ultra 3
The Chinese leaker Instant Digital confirmed the rumors about new AirPods Pro 4 with infrared cameras. However, he also believes that the new headphones will not represent a new generation, but rather a more expensive, high-end version of the AirPods Pro 3, which will be introduced in 2025. This suggests that the AirPods Pro 3 and the AirPods Ultra 3 will be available simultaneously. Apple already offers the AirPods 4 in two versions – without ANC for €129 and with ANC for €179, therefore this step seems quite plausible.
The current AirPods series includes models priced from €149 to €579 or US$129 to US$549. Another product between the €249/US$249 AirPods Pro 3 and the €579/US$549 AirPods Max seems conceivable, especially given the rise of High-end Bluetooth earphones from manufacturers such as Bang & Olufsen, Bowers & Wilkins and Bose.
Kuo reported back in September 2025 that Apple was planning to introduce a successor to the AirPods Pro 3 in 2026. This would be somewhat unusual, as Apple typically waits about three years before making major hardware changes to the AirPods. AirPods Pro 2 were introduced in September 2022 at the iPhone 14 event and updated in September 2023 with a USB-C charging case and some other improvements. Otherwise, Apple has waited about three years between updates for all AirPods models.
Whether it’s a new high-end version of the AirPods Pro 3 or brand-new AirPods Pro 4, the launch date remains unclear. Apple typically announces new AirPods in the second half of the year. The original AirPods, the AirPods Pro 2 and their USB-C successors, the AirPods 4 and the AirPods Pro 3, were all unveiled in September at Apple’s annual iPhone event.
