Previously, the notion that Apple was developing a pair of AirPods stuffed with cameras was just a rumour. Sure, it seemed the obvious direction, given… everything, but now we’ve got proof. This isn’t coming from some analyst, either, but rather straight from the source. Apple accidentally leaked a video showing off the new ‘Pods in action.
A new era for AirPods
Here is your first look at AirPods with Cameras in action using Visual Intelligence.
This video file came from macOS 26.7 RC pic.twitter.com/yo7RI4MCeu
— Aaron (@aaronp613) August 18, 2026
Keen-eyed viewers might think those are regular AirPods. They look almost identical, though they do feature a slightly thicker stem than the AirPods Pro. But it’s the demo itself that gives the game away. Voiceover text reads: “With Visual Intelligence, your world becomes savable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later.”
That’s it. That’s the idea. The thinking behind arming the AirPods with cameras is to have Apple’s artificial intelligence engage with the world around ’em more accurately. The video shows a man with AirPods equipped looking at the cover of a book, which Siri will be able to save and remind its wearer of later, when needed.
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It was MacRumors that discovered the video, tucked inside the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate. The outlet unearthed a direct reference to the owner setting up Visual Intelligence on the AirPods. It also mentions that the AirPods have the codename B790, which at least matches Bloomberg’s reporting from Mark Gurman this month.
Gurman also notes that the product has “been on Apple’s internal road map for a debut as early as this year.” If that’s true, then it’s likely we’ll see the ‘buds turn up at Apple’s iPhone-centric event, which is expected to kick off sometime in September. What the new AirPods will cost is still a mystery, as is how Apple will handle the backlash from sticking a bunch of surveillance machines in the ears of its most loyal customers.
