Apple’s next AirPods are set to include built-in cameras that let Siri scan surroundings, identify objects, and answer questions through Visual Intelligence, according to leaks from a recent macOS release candidate and reports from industry sources.
A short demonstration video tucked into the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate shows a man wearing the earbuds while holding up a book. Siri’s voiceover states: “With Visual Intelligence, your world becomes savable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later.” The cameras themselves stay hidden in the clip, though the stems look thicker than current AirPods Pro models. Developer Aaron Perris shared the video on X after MacRumors uncovered it in the software build.
The product carries the internal codename B790. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that this version is essentially a modified AirPods Pro 3 fitted with the new sensors and AI features. A separate effort under the B798 codename points to a full next-generation AirPods Pro that would also include cameras. Code references in the same macOS build mention an “image stream” and a framework called AccessorySensorMgrd that manages the dual sensors, labeled internally as Kino sensors, one on each earbud.
Those sensors capture low-resolution color stills rather than photos or video. In active mode, triggered by a Siri request, each camera starts at 640 by 640 pixels and outputs a processed 1024 by 1024 frame. Passive mode runs continuously at lower resolutions of 320 by 320 or 512 by 512. The system syncs the pair of images, corrects for head movement using the earbuds’ existing motion sensors, and discards frames blocked by hair or excessive motion. An on-device alert warns users when hair covers the sensors so the view of the environment stays clear.
Gurman has tracked the project for months. Earlier reports placed a 2026 launch on the table after the earbuds reached advanced internal testing. Supply-chain constraints and software hurdles pushed the timeline back. His most recent update confirms the camera-equipped AirPods remain scheduled for 2027, even after the accidental video leak raised expectations of a September 2026 announcement alongside new iPhones. Earlier reporting had placed the production timeline on a 2026 start. The cameras are designed strictly to feed environmental context to Siri and other AI tools, not to record traditional media.
Privacy questions surfaced quickly after the video circulated. Some online reactions labeled the concept invasive. Apple has reportedly considered indicator lights on the stems that would signal when visual data is active, similar to measures on other camera-equipped wearables. The low resolution and lack of photo or video storage are presented as built-in limits on what the hardware can capture.
Visual Intelligence itself is expanding in iOS 27 with features that already let the Camera app analyze text, objects, and packages. Extending that capability to always-on earbuds would let users ask Siri about items in front of them without pulling out a phone. The same sensors could support contextual reminders or basic navigation cues, according to earlier reporting on the project.
The B790 hardware shown in the leak closely matches today’s AirPods Pro 3 silhouette, with the thicker stems providing space for the dual outward-facing sensors. Whether Apple ultimately ships the modified Pro 3 design or the newer B798 generation, the cameras and Visual Intelligence integration appear locked in for the next major update to the product line.
For now the company is still resolving the remaining production and software issues that moved the release into 2027. The accidental inclusion of the demo video in a public software candidate offers the clearest public confirmation yet that the camera-equipped AirPods are real and advancing through development.
