Apple is said to move away from making any significant upgrades to AirPods till 2026. The company refreshed its AirPods lineup last year with the introduction of AirPods 4 — a product which also finally brought active noise cancellation (ANC) to the base TWS earbuds. However, the story for this year may not be the same. Next year, the iPhone maker is tipped to introduce a new product in the form of AirPods with a built-in infrared (IR) camera.
Upgrades to AirPods
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shared details about Apple’s roadmap for the AirPods lineup. They do not expect the company to make any ‘substantial’ upgrades to the TWS earbuds till 2026. Meanwhile, AirPods Max may also be refreshed in the coming years.
Kuo suggests that Apple is developing a lighter version of the AirPods Max and the purported product could make it to the mass production stage in 2027
AirPods may not see significant updates until 2026 (aligning with my earlier prediction that IR camera-equipped AirPods would enter mass production in 2026). A lighter version of the AirPods Max is expected to enter mass production in 2027.
AirPods可能要到2026年才會有顯著更新…
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) May 18, 2025
In addition to upgrades to existing products, the Cupertino-based tech giant is also tipped to introduce a new product — AirPods with built-in IR cameras. As per Kuo, the purported device may also enter mass production next year. This corroborates previous reports which claimed that the company was developing AirPods and Apple Watch models equipped with cameras which offer similar functionality as the smart glasses.
The analyst previously claimed that the IR cameras may enhance the audio experience. With the ability to detect environmental changes, the AirPods could allow a larger number of gestures. The built-in camera on the TWS earbuds is tipped to enable “in-air gesture” control. Further, the device may also support hand movements.
The upcoming AirPods are also expected to deliver an improved spatial audio experience with Apple’s Vision Pro spatial headset. For example, if a user turns their head to a particular direction, the spatial sound coming from that source may be enhanced for a more immersive experience.
