Apple Watch could be getting a camera but it won't be able to support popular feature
Your Apple Watch could have a camera in the near future, at least according to one reliable Apple insider, but it won't be able to do the one thing you'd likely use it for the most.
Apple Watches have been a major success for the company since their release, as they're not only the leading smartwatch on the market but they're also capable of a number of game-changing health-related features.
Users have reported that the Apple device is capable of pre-warning you when you're about to be sick, and it has even alerted people to sleep-related illnesses that you'd otherwise find impossible to diagnose.
By far one of the most requested features for upcoming editions of the Apple Watch though is a camera, and Apple expert and insider Mark Gurman has revealed in his Bloomberg newsletter Power On that this is actually currently in the works, as reported by MacRumors.
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While you might think that is the perfect way to FaceTime your friends and family while on the go, Gurman has indicated that it's incredibly unlikely that the camera - located adjacent to the crown dial - will be compatible with FaceTime, despite being in the perfect position for it.
Instead, it'll be exclusively focused on AI and visual intelligence features, which is either exciting or disappointing depending on where you stand.
Falling in line with the existing visual intelligence tech that's already present in the iPhone 16, this camera would allow wearers to 'scan' objects within the frame, utilizing AI to find out what they are, alongside other key information.
It's also able to translate text which can be useful when you're on holiday or a business trip abroad, especially as it saves you having to get your phone out at all times.
Gurman has pointed out that the camera is likely still a few generations away for the Apple Watch, but it'll differ between the standard 'Series' devices and the more expensive and feature-packed 'Ultra' variants.
While the Series camera will function more like a front camera, it's currently projected that the Ultra will have access to a more forward-facing camera that'll make it far easier to scan the environment when you're on the go.
Looking at past reactions to the prospect of a camera in the Apple Watch though, it doesn't exactly seem like it would be a popular choice.
"I'm comfortable saying the Apple Watch should never add a camera," declared one user on a Reddit thread, with another adding that "no one wants a camera on their watch, only creeps."
"I for one wouldn't want a camera on my watch," argues one other comment, proposing: "Is Apple planning to turn us into spies for the wrong reasons?"
While security concerns back then were genuine, there's no doubt going to also now be the consideration that everything you capture or say will be used to train Apple's AI ecosystem, adding another layer to the reason why some might not welcome this 'futuristic' addition.