According to reports, Apple’s development initiative for AirPods Pro equipped with infrared cameras (internally codenamed H90) has been “paused,” leaving ambiguity as to whether the project has been fully scrapped or merely placed on hold. The project was nearly ready for launch, buoyed by strong anticipated market demand. The operations team had been actively securing component supplies, even amid shortages.

Previous reports suggested that the project’s rollout had been postponed to 2027 due to quality issues related to Siri’s visual intelligence capabilities and challenges in optimizing the integration of Siri AI and visual AI models. Now, sources indicate that after nearly four years of research and development, the project has hit a roadblock—not due to technical limitations, but rather compliance challenges with EU privacy regulations. The device would require the collection of biometric and environmental depth data in public spaces, necessitating “explicit consent” from every individual whose data is captured—a requirement deemed nearly impossible to fulfill in practice.

These AirPods Pro were initially designed to incorporate low-resolution infrared sensors, with each earbud featuring a camera to gather visual information from the surroundings for Siri to process. This setup would enable gesture recognition and deliver spatial audio experiences when paired with devices like Apple Vision Pro. To house the sensors, the earbud stems were elongated, and the infrared cameras would allow the earbuds to “connect with Apple Intelligence.” Apple has yet to issue a statement regarding this development.