Apple Watch may have built-in camera to support AI features

Apple is working on adding a camera to the Apple Watch in the next two years to enable artificial intelligence features like Apple Intelligence , according to a Sunday report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

According to Gurman, a reliable Apple commentator, the company is now considering adding cameras to the standard Series Watch and Ultra models by 2027. The report comes as smartphone makers like Apple, Google, and Samsung increasingly focus on AI features in their latest devices.

“The current idea is to put the camera inside the display on the Series version, like the front-facing lens on the iPhone ,” Gurman wrote in his weekly newsletter. He wrote that the camera lens on the Ultra will be positioned slightly differently, on the side of the watch near the crown and buttons.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Apple Intelligence, which debuted with the iOS 18.1 update in October, offers a visual search tool that can help identify objects and places around you and display any relevant information.

Gurman reported in December that Apple was exploring the possibility of adding temperature sensors and other physiological measurements to AirPods. Both he and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also reported that Apple is working on adding infrared cameras to future AirPods by 2026.

Infrared cameras could be used in a number of ways. The report details that they could be used to detect hand gestures in the air, work with devices like the Apple Vision Pro to enhance spatial audio, or detect changes in the environment for software that includes new Apple Intelligence.