Apple Stops Work on Camera-Equipped Apple Watch Planned for 2027

Apple is no longer planning to release an Apple Watch that includes a camera, reports Bloomberg. Apple was developing Apple Watch and Apple Watch Ultra models that had a camera to view the wearer's surrounding environment, but work on those projects ended this week.

Apple Watch Series 10 Jet Black
The camera in the Apple Watch would not have been used for features like FaceTime or snapping photos, but instead would have allowed Apple Watch owners to get information about objects and places near them.

An Apple Watch might have been able to do things like provide hours when pointed at a restaurant or store, identify a plant, describe an object, or offer language translations. The wearable camera functionality would have worked much like Visual Intelligence, an AI iPhone feature that lets users point their camera at something to get more information.

Apple planned to release the camera-equipped Apple Watch models in 2027, but the plans are off. It's possible Apple could bring the technology back in the future, and it's not known why development ended.

Though Apple is no longer planning for an Apple Watch with a camera, it's still developing AirPods with tiny cameras inside. The AirPods cameras may be infrared sensors to enable features like enhanced spatial audio, in-air gesture control, and AI capabilities.

Related Forum: Apple Watch

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Top Rated Comments

moabal Avatar
10 months ago
No one wanted this anyways.
Score: 50 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
10 months ago
Gurman started a rumor: camera in AW
2(?) weeks later: same Gurman says Apple stopped working on this feature

Result: lots of clicks. Oh, and Apple changed its plan, Gurman was not wrong in the first place ...

But hey, keeps us entertained ;)
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacUserFella Avatar
10 months ago

No one wanted this anyways.
I wanted it, it would’ve made me feel like a spy kid
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
erkanasu Avatar
10 months ago
Internal testers prob were filming wiping their ass and they realized a huge lawsuit was coming
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JPack Avatar
10 months ago
The feature never made sense from day one. Most people wear sleeved clothing and jackets.

And how awkward would it be to point your watch at something to take a photo? Just take out your phone.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacUserFella Avatar
10 months ago
Apple cancels another product, what else is new?
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)