Apple AirPods may feature camera for 1-megapixel photos and spatial audio enhancement

New code discovered within a candidate version of macOS suggests Apple may be planning to equip future AirPods with a camera. The internal development codename for these rumored headphones is reportedly B790.

The camera is expected to be capable of capturing 1-megapixel color images. A more significant function, however, could be an enhancement to the spatial audio experience. Code suggests the camera might identify the specific screen a user is viewing, such as a laptop, monitor, smartphone, or television.

This screen identification could allow the AirPods to correct inaccuracies in head-tracking for spatial audio. The system is designed to recognize five types of screens and would activate during video playback. It would also detect when a user stands up or leaves their seat.

When playing video with head-tracking spatial audio enabled, the AirPods' camera could compare the screen's orientation with data from the headphone's motion sensors. If the directional data from both sources is sufficiently close, the system may make minor adjustments, reducing positional drift and enhancing the spatial audio effect.