Apple to Launch AirPods 5 and Beats 360 Headphones, Camera AirPods Delayed to Next Year
New reports indicate Apple will release updated AirPods 5 open earbuds alongside Beats-branded over-ear headphones in the coming weeks, rather than the long-rumored camera-equipped AirPods Pro. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says the IR camera version, aimed at powering Siri visual intelligence and gesture recognition, won't arrive until next year, despite recent leaked video evidence found in a MacOS 26.7 release candidate. The AirPods 5 are expected to come in two versions priced similarly to the current AirPods 4, at $130 and $180.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
This shakeup suggests Apple is prioritizing incremental hardware refreshes and expanding its Beats lineup before tackling more ambitious AI-integrated wearables. The delay of camera-equipped AirPods also signals that Apple may still be refining the technical or software groundwork needed for advanced visual intelligence features tied to Siri.
- AirPods 5 and new Beats over-ear headphones are expected to launch soon, not the camera-equipped AirPods.
- Camera-equipped AirPods with IR sensors for Siri visual intelligence are now pushed to next year.
- AirPods 5 will likely retain a similar design to AirPods 4 but may include performance upgrades and a new H3 chip.
Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation — While we wait on the rumored AirPods 5 and camera-equipped Pro models, the AirPods 4 with ANC are the current open-ear pick from Apple. They pair instantly across your Apple devices and bring noise cancellation to a design that skips silicone tips entirely.
See Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: cnet.com — David Carnoy, 2026-08-25
Published there as: “Add the AirPods 5, Beats 360 to Rumored Apple Headphones Coming Soon”
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