Apple may have disclosed its biggest AirPods upgrade in years

Technology leaks happen all the time, but rarely because of the company working on the product. However, Apple appears to have mistakenly leaked its own camera-equipped AirPods. A short demo video hidden inside the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate shows off the long-rumored headphones for the first time, and suggests the product is much closer to launch (via Woozad).

In the clip, a man wearing AirPods holds a book so the built-in camera can see the title (shown below). “Using visual intelligence, your world can be saved. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later,” the voiceover says. It’s unclear what will happen next. Presumably, the camera feeds what it sees to Visual Intelligence, Apple’s AI feature that identifies objects and answers questions about your surroundings, and Siri can then answer queries about what you’re looking at or save the information for later.

Although the clip doesn’t show the new AirPods in detail or the camera in particular, the stem appears slightly thicker than that of the current AirPods Pro 3, suggesting that this is a new AirPods model. Apple has been rumored to be developing AirPods with built-in cameras for years, but until now the evidence has come from analysts, supply chain leaks, and code fragments. This is Apple’s marketing material, integrated into the shipping software.

There’s more to macOS beta software than just video. Additional strings from the version shared by Woozad contributor Aaron Perris describe an error message titled “Hair Detected” that would presumably appear when long hair is blocking the camera. “To get the most accurate information about items in your environment, make sure (your) AirPods are not covered,” the alert says. A camera placed in your ear will spend a lot of time behind hair, hats and balaclavas, and Apple obviously has this planned.

In the macOS beta where this was found, there are also references to a feature called Secure Pairing, asking users to “Please put your AirPods in (their) case to continue secure pairing.” » Nothing in the beta software explains how the process works, although a dedicated security step makes sense for headphones that capture visual data from the world around you.

Bloomberg reported that the cameras would collect low-resolution images for AI processing and would not be able to take regular photos or videos. The idea of ​​headphones with built-in cameras has already raised privacy concerns among users worried about being recorded by strangers. A permanent capture indicator, as Bloomberg has described it, would go some way to assuaging these fears. Presumably, Apple’s new pairing flow will help alleviate these privacy concerns in some way.

Apple’s next AirPods will reportedly be codenamed B790, an identifier that Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported earlier this month as the version of the AirPods camera closest to production. At that time, Gurman said the AirPods model could launch as early as September, ahead of a more advanced model, codenamed B798, which isn’t expected until 2027. The macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate — which is expected to be publicly rolled out in the coming weeks if Apple follows its usual schedule — contains several other mentions of the B790, seemingly confirming that September launch event.

This timeline aligns with Apple’s planned iPhone launch next month, an event that typically takes place in September. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max alongside its first foldable iPhone, which will reportedly be called iPhone Ultra. That being said, Apple hasn’t announced camera-equipped AirPods, and there’s no official name, price, or release date yet.