Apple May Add Cameras and AI to Apple Watches by 2027

Apple is planning to add cameras and AI features to upcoming Apple Watches, according to Bloomberg’s Power On newsletter.

Columnist Mark Gurman expects the camera-equipped watches to be out sometime in 2027 at the soonest. As part of this plan, Apple is mulling adding cameras to both its standard Series watches and its higher-end Ultra models. On the Series watches, Apple plans to put the camera inside the device’s display itself, while on the larger Ultra model, the camera will lie on the side of the watch, next to the side button.

The reports follow Gurman’s earlier reports that Apple was also considering adding cameras and AI features to its AirPods in July 2024. Gurman predicts Apple’s eventual plan is for micro cameras to support the rollout of visual AI features, comparable to Apple’s Visual Intelligence feature, which debuted alongside the iPhone 16.

These features allow users to get AI-generated information on the world around them. For example, pointing the camera at a flower and getting an AI description of the breed of flower and more information about it.

Ultimately, Apple plans for Visual Intelligence to go “far beyond the iPhone,” according to Gurman, and to eventually be “at the core of future devices.” But the Visual Intelligence that could eventually make its way to Apple Watch might be far different from what’s available today, at least under the hood.

“Apple also wants to shift Visual Intelligence toward its own AI models, rather than those from OpenAI and Google,” said Gurman.

The jury is out on whether Visual Intelligence will do much to win over potential Apple Watch or AirPod buyers. A December survey by Sellcell.com found that 73% of iPhone users and 87% of Samsung users say the AI features available to them “add little to no value, highlighting widespread apathy across both brands.”

If you don’t own an iPhone 16, and you can’t wait until Visual Intelligence features make their way to Apple’s wearables, Apple plans to bring the feature to the iPhone 15 Pro in next month’s iOS 18.4 update, according to Gurman.

About Will McCurdy

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I’m a reporter covering weekend news. Before joining PCMag in 2024, I picked up bylines in BBC News, The Guardian, The Times of London, The Daily Beast, Vice, Slate, Fast Company, The Evening Standard, The i, TechRadar, and Decrypt Media.

I’ve been a PC gamer since you had to install games from multiple CD-ROMs by hand. As a reporter, I’m passionate about the intersection of tech and human lives. I’ve covered everything from crypto scandals to the art world, as well as conspiracy theories, UK politics, and Russia and foreign affairs.

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