Apple's Camera-Equipped AirPods Leak Ahead of Expected September Reveal

Apple's camera-equipped AirPods have leaked ahead of any official reveal, showing up in a demo video buried inside the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate that Apple pushed out earlier this month.

What the leaked video shows
In the clip, a man wearing AirPods asks Siri to remember the book he is checking out, and Apple Intelligence responds using a new Visual Intelligence feature that appears to draw on a live camera feed from the earbuds themselves.

Not a camera for photos
Reports describe the sensors as low-resolution and hands-free by design, meant to give Apple's AI assistant a live view of what the wearer is looking at rather than capturing photos or video for later use.

Design
The AirPods in the leaked video closely resemble the current AirPods Pro, with the main visible difference being a noticeably thicker stem, presumably to house the camera sensors and any related electronics.

Codename and timing
The leaked model is reportedly codenamed B790 internally. Given its appearance in a near-final macOS build, reports expect Apple to reveal the camera-equipped AirPods at its iPhone 18 event, widely expected in September 2026.

A second model may follow
Separate reporting has pointed to another camera-equipped AirPods model, codenamed B798, expected as late as 2027, suggesting Apple may be planning more than one generation of the feature rather than a single launch.

Why it matters
Camera-equipped AirPods would extend Apple Intelligence beyond the iPhone and Apple Watch, giving Siri a hands-free way to interpret the physical world during calls, workouts, or errands without the wearer holding up a phone.

How the leak surfaced
Apple regularly ships unreleased feature code and marketing assets inside beta and release-candidate builds of macOS, iOS, and other operating systems, and outlets including MacRumors and 9to5Mac say this particular clip was found by developers digging through the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate rather than shared by Apple itself.

What is still unconfirmed
Apple has not commented on the leak, and details such as battery life, exact release timing, price, and whether the feature debuts on standard AirPods Pro or a new tier entirely remain unclear until Apple confirms them directly.

Get ready for Apple's camera-equipped AirPods with a Komodoty case
Whichever AirPods generation ends up with a built-in camera, it will need a case that protects the added hardware in the stem. Komodoty makes cases for AirPods in slim wood with a Kevlar core, aramid fiber, and Alcantara, with precise cutouts for the charging case and wireless charging support. Browse the current lineup in the Komodoty AirPods cases collection.