Earlier this year we heard rumors Apple was working on a very special Apple Watch, which would feature a built-in camera. Supposedly it could view the environment and answer user questions, Visual Intelligence-style. Well apparently that's no longer happening.
According to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple has canceled work on this camera-infused watch. So the 2027 Apple Watch and Apple Watch Ultra will need some different features to try and entice people to buy them.
It's unclear why Apple has made this decision, and Gurman notes work on the camera-equipped AirPods is apparently still ongoing. The most recent rumors claim that those will be arriving at some point next year, as the AirPods Pro 3.
The thing about the Apple Watch camera is that it reportedly wouldn't be capable of traditional camera features — like taking photos or using FaceTime. Instead it would be purely for examining the world around it, and passing that information to the user.
Why the cancellation?
It could be that Apple canned this particular product because that's also what the upcoming smart glasses are supposed to do.
Considering the best smart glasses are the new up-and-coming gadget, Apple's going to want to prioritize them — and the last thing it needs is another compact wearable offering the same features.
To be perfectly honest, using Visual Intelligence-like features in glasses makes a whole lot more sense than slapping them into a watch. Glasses are always facing the way you're looking and don't require any extra hand or arm movement to aim.
Watches would likely have to be held up pointing in a specific direction, to let the camera lens see what's going on. Which is hardly convenient, and would look pretty silly out in public. Even sillier than wearing a Vision Pro headset while crossing the street. Glasses would certainly be a lot more discreet, and less goofy-looking.
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