In a bid to potentially revolutionize the wearable tech industry, Apple Inc.
What Happened: Apple has been considering the addition of cameras to its AirPods, along with advanced AI and health sensors, said Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
This initiative, known as "B798," began last year and involved Apple engineers attempting to incorporate low-resolution camera sensors into earbuds of a similar size to the current AirPods. The cameras could capture data to be processed via AI, potentially aiding users in their daily routines.
The report, however, also states that this product may never see the light of day, as it is currently only an exploration of an idea.
Besides the camera-equipped AirPods, Apple is also contemplating the development of a smart ring and smart glasses, both of which could feature health-tracking capabilities and AI integration.
While the smart ring concept is not yet in active development, it could potentially provide a low-cost method of collecting essential health data.
The smart glasses, currently in an exploratory phase known as "technology investigation," could serve as an alternative to the Apple Vision Pro and replace AirPods in certain scenarios.
Why It Matters: Apple is brainstorming innovative products to strengthen its ecosystem, with an emphasis on AI-powered wearables.
For instance, the smart ring, which can be worn on fingers, was presented by Apple's industrial design team a few years ago and is likely to adopt Apple Watch's health-tracking features.
Meanwhile, the possibility of developing smart glasses was discussed more recently by engineers at Apple's lab in California.
