Apple is preparing to launch camera- and AI-equipped AirPods and smart glasses, entering the AI device market and competing directly with Meta’s AI-enabled camera sunglasses. The new AirPods, which will closely resemble current AirPod Pro models but with tiny cameras embedded in the stems, mark the next step in Apple’s Visual Intelligence technology. Rather than capturing photos or video, the computer-vision cameras would serve as sensors, supplying Siri with visual context such as improving navigation during turn-by-turn walking directions. Apple is also planning its first smart glasses, code-named N50, as soon as late 2027, featuring more advanced cameras capable of capturing photos and video. The AI AirPods will have external lights that can alert people when data is being sent from the earbuds to the cloud. The new AirPods are intended to become Apple’s first AI-centric wearable device, with the release set around the same time as a next-gen foldable phone and a new iPhone model for the product line’s 20th anniversary. Apple intends this slate of offerings to be its largest debut of new products yet.