Melissa Donovan
Apple is reportedly developing camera-equipped Apple Watch models to introduce advanced AI-driven capabilities, such as Visual Intelligence. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in the Power On Newsletter, these new features could debut within the next two years.
Camera Integration in Future Apple Watch Models
Gurman reports that the standard Apple Watch Series will incorporate cameras directly into the display, while the Apple Watch Ultra will feature a camera mounted on the side near the digital crown and button. These cameras will allow the device to “see” its surroundings, enabling artificial intelligence to provide users with real-time, context-aware information. A similar approach is rumored for upcoming AirPods, which may also integrate camera technology.
Visual Intelligence: Advancing AI in Wearables
The Visual Intelligence feature was first introduced with the iPhone 16. It uses the phone’s camera to extract details from event flyers, automatically add them to the calendar, or retrieve information about businesses. Currently powered by third-party AI models, Apple reportedly aims to transition to proprietary AI models by 2027, coinciding with the anticipated launch of these next-generation Apple Watches and AirPods.
Leadership and Future AI Wearables
Mike Rockwell largely guides the advancement of AI-powered capabilities in Apple’s wearable devices. Gurman previously reported that Rockwell is now leading efforts to get Apple’s delayed Siri LLM (Large Language Model) upgrade back on track. His experience includes overseeing the development of the Vision Pro, and he will continue to work on visionOS.
Additionally, Apple is exploring another AI-integrated wearable—augmented reality (AR) glasses. These AR glasses, similar in concept to Meta’s Orion prototype, are still in early development and are expected to take several more years to materialize.
With Apple’s continuous innovation in AI-driven functionalities, the integration of cameras into its wearables marks a major step toward creating a smarter, more interactive user experience. The evolution of Visual Intelligence and other AI-powered features is set to redefine how users interact with their Apple devices in the near future.
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