{"slug": "apples-camera-equipped-airpods-just-leaked-and-now-we-know-what-theyll-actually", "title": "Apple’s camera-equipped AirPods just leaked, and now we know what they’ll actually do", "summary": "Apple's camera-equipped AirPods, codenamed B790, will use their cameras solely to answer questions about the user's surroundings via Apple Intelligence and Siri, with no ability to save photos or videos, according to references found in the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate by MacRumors analyst Aaron Perris. The earbuds are expected to launch as early as next month during Apple's iPhone event, alongside the foldable iPhone Ultra.", "body_md": "Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. [Learn more.](https://www.androidauthority.com/external-links/)\n\n# Apple’s camera-equipped AirPods just leaked, and now we know what they’ll actually do\n\nAug 18, 2026 — 8:12 AM ET\n\n- References for Apple’s rumored AirPods with built-in cameras have surfaced in a demo video in the recently released macOS 26.7 update.\n- The cameras on the upcoming AirPods will be used solely to answer questions about your surroundings, with no ability to save photos or videos.\n- Apple could release the camera-equipped AirPods model during next month’s iPhone launch event.\n\nRumors over the past couple of years have indicated that Apple is working on a version of the AirPods with built-in cameras. Then, in May, these AI-powered earbuds [reached a new company milestone](https://www.androidauthority.com/apple-airpods-reach-final-stages-of-development-3664875/), suggesting a launch wasn’t far away. We’re now gaining additional information about what these AirPods can do, while also potentially getting our first look at the earbuds themselves.\n\nA video file spotted within the latest macOS Tahoe 26.7 RC (release candidate) by *MacRumors* analyst [Aaron Perris on X](https://x.com/aaronp613/status/2089522745184760112) shows a person wearing what appears to be an AirPods model holding a book up to their face. The voiceover in the background says, “With Visual Intelligence, your world becomes savable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later.”\n\nVisual Intelligence is a part of the company’s suite of built-in AI features, known as Apple Intelligence. It works similarly to Google’s Gemini Live and can view your surroundings and answer specific questions based on what it’s seeing.\n\nAs for the AirPods model prominently displayed in the video above, they don’t look dissimilar to any of the existing AirPods models, though the stem appears slightly thicker. It’s hard to tell from this brief video alone whether these are indeed the new camera-toting AirPods.\n\nHere 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]\n\n[uncovered further evidence confirming the AirPods’ camera functionality: “To get the most accurate information about things in your environment, make sure AirPods are not covered.” This refers to the user’s hair covering or blocking the AirPods’ view.](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/08/17/camera-equipped-airpods-macos-26-7/)\n\n*MacRumors*The cameras on the upcoming AirPods aren’t meant to capture photos or videos. Instead, Apple will use them strictly to capture your surroundings and send them to Apple Intelligence to process and answer your questions via Siri.\n\n## What could this mean for the rest of the tech industry?\n\nIt’s no secret that Apple adopting a particular technology typically leads other manufacturers to follow suit. So we shouldn’t be surprised if some popular OEMs reveal earbuds featuring a similar camera arrangement over the next couple of years. This also means we can’t rule out major brands like Samsung releasing a pair of Galaxy Buds with built-in cameras sometime in the future.\n\nApple is expected to unveil the new AirPods with cameras, codenamed B790, as early as next month during the company’s iPhone launch event. Also on the agenda will be Apple’s first-ever foldable, dubbed the [iPhone Ultra](https://www.androidauthority.com/5-things-iphone-ultra-can-learn-from-android-foldables-3694712/), which is expected to offer a similar display and aspect ratio as the [Galaxy Z Fold 8](https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-8-first-things-to-do-3695011/).\n\nThank you for being part of our community. Read our [Comment Policy](https://www.androidauthority.com/android-authority-comment-policy/) before posting.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/apples-camera-equipped-airpods-just-leaked-and-now-we-know-what-theyll-actually", "canonical_source": "https://www.androidauthority.com/apple-airpods-camera-demo-leak-macos-3699674/", "published_at": "2026-08-18 12:12:02+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-18 16:45:43.729068+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-products", "computer-vision"], "entities": ["Apple", "AirPods", "Apple Intelligence", "Siri", "MacRumors", "Aaron Perris", "macOS Tahoe 26.7", "iPhone Ultra"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/apples-camera-equipped-airpods-just-leaked-and-now-we-know-what-theyll-actually", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/apples-camera-equipped-airpods-just-leaked-and-now-we-know-what-theyll-actually.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/apples-camera-equipped-airpods-just-leaked-and-now-we-know-what-theyll-actually.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/apples-camera-equipped-airpods-just-leaked-and-now-we-know-what-theyll-actually.jsonld"}}