Apple to launch a smart home camera, new AirPods positioning to emphasize health features

Apple is getting ready to enter the smart home camera market, according to a new report by Ming-Chi Kuo, prolific purveyor of Apple-related rumors.

Mass production for this device is scheduled for 2026, and Apple is apparently very optimistic about its new product category, targeting annual shipments "in the tens of millions". Specifically, at least 10 million. That's significant because the entire global market so far is around 30-40 million units per year.

The wireless camera will unsurprisingly be designed to integrate seamlessly into Apple's ecosystem, with both Apple Intelligence and Siri being involved.

In related news from the same source, Apple will reposition AirPods to focus on health management, following the success of a similar strategy employed for the Apple Watch line.

Thus, future AirPods will come with more such health management features, and this should help grow AirPods sales from approximately 48 million units last year to 53-55 million this year, 58-62 million next year, and 65-68 million in 2026. In 2026, a new model is coming too.