Apple Watch could get cameras for AI in the future, says report
Apple plans to integrate more Apple Intelligence features into its products, and it looks like cameras could play a big role.
⌚️ The Apple Watch might get a camera in the future for AI
📸 Apple is rumored to add a camera to the watch for Visual Intelligence
🤖 This will help transform your Apple Watch into an everyday AI companion
📱 It could enable new experiences without the need of your phone
📅 Apple might add cameras to the watch by 2027
The Apple Watch Series 11 is expected to arrive later this year, but future Apple Watches could be vastly more interesting thanks to AI. The company is working on adding cameras to the Apple Watch to enable Visual Intelligence features through Apple Intelligence, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The cameras will help make the watch an AI companion that can be used more independently from your iPhone.
In his Power On newsletter, Gurman notes that Apple wants to bring Visual Intelligence to more devices, but that requires cameras. We’ve heard in the past that AirPods could eventually gain cameras for more AI features, and now, it seems like the Apple Watch will follow suit.
The regular Apple Watch could gain a camera somewhere in the screen, whether it be underneath the OLED panel or in a cutout like on the iPhone. Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Ultra could get a camera somewhere on the side between the Digital Crown and side button. This would make it easier to point at things and learn about them through Visual Intelligence, as well as deliver “relevant information” depending on where you are.
Right now, Visual Intelligence relies on certain AI models like ChatGPT to work. In the future, Apple wants to transition to using its own models, but that likely won’t occur until 2027 (or whenever the company can figure out its internal issues with Apple Intelligence). Therefore, Apple will likely wait until at least 2027 to ship an Apple Watch with cameras. We also expect AirPods to get a similar update that year.
For this year, the company is expected to release the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3, both of which will likely gain minimal upgrades compared to the current versions. The Ultra 3 will reportedly gain satellite texting for emergencies, while both could offer blood pressure monitoring, MicroLED displays, and faster performance.
Max Buondonno is Editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.