- Apple AirPods 4 is prepping to spot an 'IR' camera on-board giving it the capability to see the world around the wearer.
- This would mark it as a major hardware upgrade coming a few years from today, if not this year.
- Purported AirPods Pro 4 is expected to get better noise cancellation, IP-rating, among others, as well.
Next-gen Apple AirPods Pro 4 ‘could see the world around you,’ as per a well-renowned tipster. That’s a bold claim, given that the recently launched AirPods Pro 3 doesn’t have this tech yet, although the hype around Pro 4 has already started to build up. Here’s what the latest tech is all about.
The AirPods Pro 4 could arrive with cameras to see the world around you
According to tipster Kosutami, Apple’s next-gen AirPods Pro 4 will gain the ability to ‘see around the wearer,’ possibly using cameras on each earbud. In July 2025, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo highlighted a patent where Apple is talking about leveraging cameras similar to dot projectors on the Face ID. Cut to now, Kuo believes that the upcoming AirPods Pro will bring significant hardware upgrades, including an IR camera on board.
It is likely that the expression on the earbuds, ‘seeing around you,’ could be related to an IR camera instead of an actual camera on board. This is practically due to limited real estate on an earbud, given that the latest AirPods Pro 3 is already at its lowest in terms of size. Priced at $249, the Pro 3 brings spatial experience, live translation backed by Apple Intelligence, and 2x more effective noise cancellation, among others.
Circling back to AirPods Pro 4, the earbuds with IR cameras could improve overall user experience by unleashing an array of gesture controls and functionalities. Unfortunately, we don’t have much information about the AirPods Pro 4 with cameras at the moment.
AirPods Pro 4 price tag and launch date
It is safe to assume AirPods Pro 4 will be pricier than Pro 3 (which is at $249). For perspective, AirPods 4 are available from $129 to $179, based on the model you choose. Usually, Apple waits for around three years before launching the next iteration of AirPods Pro. For instance, we already got our hands on AirPods Pro at $249 in 2026, and we have already started to hear about AirPods Pro 4, which could be historically three years away.
On the other hand, this could be a full-fledged high-end AirPods Pro 3 as well, in which case, the wireless earbuds could arrive sooner than ever.
