Leaked Apple code reveals camera-equipped AirPods for Siri

Apple inadvertently revealed its next AirPods model in a video hidden inside the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate. The clip shows a user wearing the new earbuds and asking Siri to remember the book he’s checking out. Siri then explains a feature called Visual Intelligence, claiming the AirPods can feed low‑resolution images to the assistant so the user can ask what they’re looking at. The cameras are not visible in the demo, but the earbuds have a thicker stem than current AirPods Pro.

The concept was first reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in May, and the video was later shared by a Twitter user named @aaronp613. The new AirPods, codenamed B790 in the Tahoe release, appear to integrate a small camera that streams to Apple’s AI assistant. Visual Intelligence would let users point Siri at an object and get a description, or ask it to save the image for later. The demo’s voiceover hints that the feature could make everyday experiences “saveable,” turning the world into a personal photo library.

Privacy advocates have raised concerns about a wearable that can capture a continuous low‑resolution feed. Gurman noted that Apple may include an indicator to show when the cameras are active, a minimum requirement for such a device. Even with a small camera, the earbuds would technically be a surveillance tool, which could scare off some customers. The video’s presence in a macOS release suggests Apple plans to announce the new AirPods at its next iPhone 18 event, expected next month.

If Apple follows through, the camera‑equipped AirPods could signal a broader push toward AI‑enabled wearables. They would join a projected 2027 model, codenamed B798, also rumored to have a camera. The announcement would mark a significant shift from audio‑only accessories and could reshape how users interact with Siri and Apple’s ecosystem.