Apple is reportedly building AirPods with cameras in them, and the goal is to feed your surroundings to a smarter Siri. According to The Verge AI, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says these camera-equipped earbuds are on schedule for a late 2027 launch, with cameras mounted in the stems and small lights that signal when data is heading to the cloud. The Verge AI reports the buds are already being tested internally against iOS 28, a full software generation past this fall’s iOS 27.
That’s the headline, but it’s part of a much bigger 2027 picture Gurman laid out. Here’s what stands out and why it matters.
1. Camera AirPods are a stepping stone, not the destination
The cameras would give an upgraded Siri “visual context” about what’s around you. Think of it as Siri being able to see what you see. The Verge AI frames these as a bridge to Apple’s first smart glasses, which means Apple wants ears and faces covered before the glasses arrive. This is significant because it puts Apple on the same collision course as Meta and Snap, both of which are betting on camera-wearables as the next computing surface.
2. A second foldable signals real commitment
Gurman points to a second-generation foldable iPhone following the first model, which he expects to land this fall. One foldable can be an experiment. Two is a product line. The Verge AI’s writer, who uses a Pixel 10 Pro Fold, flags the category’s current pain points: apps that don’t adjust to the bigger screen and batteries that shrink to fit the hinge. The hope is Apple finds better uses for that extra glass than rivals have so far.
3. A 20th-anniversary iPhone with wraparound glass
The long-rumored anniversary iPhone, reportedly code-named V73 and V74, would follow this year’s iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. Same general sizes, but with a “nearly edge-to-edge display” and curved glass that wraps around the sides. It’s the kind of design swing Apple saves for milestone years.
4. The chip race goes very small
The roadmap gets aggressive on silicon. The standard iPhone 18 may slip to next year on an A20-series chip, while the other 2027 phones jump to a 2nm A21. After that, Apple plans 1.4nm technology for the A22 Pro. Smaller process nodes generally mean more performance and better efficiency, which matters a lot when you’re running AI features on-device. One twist: Apple is reportedly “considering” Intel for some production alongside its usual partner TSMC. That would be a notable shift after years of TSMC exclusivity.
5. The skinny iPhone Air fits the pattern
This all lines up with multi-year rumors about a thinner iPhone Air. The pieces are starting to point in one direction: a lineup that spreads across foldables, ultra-thin models, anniversary designs, and AI wearables.
Why this matters
Apple’s near-term AI story has been about software, the Siri and Apple Intelligence features shown at WWDC. This roadmap shows the hardware Apple thinks that software needs. Cameras on your ears, AI that can see, and chips small enough to run it all locally. Apple is clearly planning for a world where the iPhone is no longer the only screen that matters.
A few big caveats, and The Verge AI is right to stress them. John Ternus is reportedly stepping in as Apple’s CEO. A RAM and component shortage is hanging over the whole industry. And AI is reshaping product plans across every company at once. Even well-sourced roadmaps three years out can shift hard.
These are rumors, dated late 2027, so nothing here is shipping soon. But the direction is the real signal: Apple is wiring AI into the hardware, not just the operating system. You can find the full breakdown of Gurman’s reporting over at The Verge AI.