Camera-equipped AirPods spotted in leaked video hidden inside the newest macOS beta
It looks like the rumors were true
📷 Apple’s rumored camera-equipped AirPods have been spotted in a leaked video
👀 The clip inside the new macOS beta shows someone using the AirPods by holding a book up to the small camera inside
🤖 It then features Siri explaining how you can save something for later with the camera capture with “Visual Intelligence”
📅 The AirPods could launch in September alongside Apple’s revamped AI-powered Siri
We might have just got our first look at Apple’s rumored AirPods that have cameras thanks to a video inside the newest macOS beta.
As per MacRumors, the short video clip was found in the macOS Tahoe 26.7 Release Candidate and shows a man wearing the new AirPods holding up a book with the cover displayed so Apple’s Visual Intelligence can see the book title.
A Siri-voice-over plays over the video, stating that “with Visual Intelligence, your world becomes saveable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later.”
Reliable Apple tipster Mark Gurman for Bloomberg has reported on these AirPods before, and stated that the cameras are designed to take in “visual information in low resolution” for Apple’s AI features, such as for Siri answering questions about a wearer’s surroundings or something they hold up to the camera.
The AirPods in the clip look like a thicker version of the AirPods Pro 3, with longer stems to accommodate the cameras. Gurman also thought they would come with LED lights, but they aren’t visible from the angle seen in the video.
We’d received news that Apple is exploring new wearable product categories some time ago, including an AI-powered pendant and smart glasses, although it seems like the camera-equipped AirPods will see the light of day first.
Gurman had also reported that Apple’s smart glasses are reportedly coming in multiple styles as a rival device to the Meta Ray-Bans and the upcoming range of Android XR glasses from Google and partner firms such as Samsung.
Until then, though, it seems like the camera-equipped AirPods may be coming very soon – if demo videos are already being spotted in Apple OS betas, they may launch alongside long-awaited upgraded version of Siri, which is expected to arrive in September together with the next generation of iPhones.
Up next: New Google wearable has been spotted in Pixel 11 ads
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.