Overview
- Prototypes, Bloomberg reported Thursday, are in design validation testing, one step before production validation and early mass manufacturing.
- Each earbud houses a low‑resolution camera that feeds visual context to Siri for object questions, landmark‑based directions, and reminders triggered by what you look at.
- The earbuds resemble AirPods Pro 3 with longer stems, and a small LED lights up when visual data uploads to the cloud to signal activity.
- Apple postponed a first‑half 2026 launch because the upgraded Siri was not ready, and a fall window now depends on software quality and production readiness.
- Apple has developed the product for about four years, expects strong demand, and is securing components as part of a broader AI wearable push that also includes smart glasses and a pendant.