A camera-equipped Apple Watch with Visual Intelligence could drop in 2027
Rumor has it that the Apple Watch models coming down the pike in 2027 will have a built-in camera to support Apple Intelligence features such as Visual Intelligence.
Mark Gurman wrote in his Power On Newsletter for Bloomberg that the Apple Watch will get cameras in 2027. If true, then the next year’s Apple Watch Series 12 models and the Apple Watch Ultra will be equipped with cameras.
A camera should enable the device to support Visual Intelligence, an Apple Intelligence feature available on the iPhone that lets you learn more about the places, objects and text in the viewfinder. Gurman isn’t sure whether the camera would support FaceTime because of the small screens, arm fatigue and technical hurdles.
A camera-equipped Apple Watch with Visual Intelligence is rumored to arrive in 2027
According to Gurman, both the camera-equipped AirPods and Apple Watches are expected to roll out in 2027. From his piece:
The company is working on new versions of the Apple Watch that include cameras. As with the future AirPods, this would help the device see the outside world and use AI to deliver relevant information. These models are likely still at least generations away from hitting the market, but they are on the road map.
According to Gurman, the standard Series models will have a camera built “inside the display.” For the Apple Watch Ultra, Apple would apparently put a camera next to the Digital Crown on the side. The cameras would enable the device to “see the outside world and use AI to deliver relevant information.”
As part of this plan, Apple is considering adding cameras to both its standard Series watches and Ultra models. The current idea is to put the camera inside the display of the Series version, like the front-facing lens on the iPhone. The Ultra will take a different approach, with the camera lens sitting on the side of the watch near the crown and button.
And:
Apple is probably considering this approach because the thicker Ultra has more room to work with. It would mean that an Ultra wearer could easily point their wrist at something to scan an object. A Series watch user, meanwhile, would have to flip over their wrist.
What about FaceTime video calling?
Ideally, I’d love these cameras to also support FaceTime, but that’s probably a far-fetched idea. For one, the screens are too small to provide a good videoconferencing experience, and holding up your wrist for long periods for time can get uncomfortable. The technical challenge of moving the FaceTime app to the watchOS operating system wouldn’t be a major hurdle, though.
Gurman expects Visual Intelligence to become one of the core features of future devices. Visual Intelligence currently uses AI models from OpenAI and Google, but Apple plans to eventually shift it toward its own AI models. Gurman didn’t say whether he learned of this plan before Apple admitted an AI-infused Siri is late.
The company also put the Siri team under the leadership of the Vision Pro boss Mike Rockwell, who reports to software engineering head Craig Federighi and will continue to work on visionOS. At the same time, Apple’s AI boss John Giannandrea remains in charge of AI and machine learning research and development across the company, according to sources who attended a recent hands-on meeting at Apple.
Visual Intelligence coming to iPhone 15 Pros with iOS 18.4
Gurman said earlier that Apple will also equip future AirPods with built-in cameras to support the Apple Intelligence capabilities, such as Visual Intelligence. That feature is currently exclusive to the iPhone 16 lineup. However, with the upcoming iOS 18.4 update in April, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max owners will be able to use Visual Intelligence. The software update will let you bind Visual Intelligence to the Action button, invoke it via the Control Center, assign it to a Back Tap gesture or set it as a Lock Screen shortcut instead of the Flashlight or Camera icons.
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