Apple Software Leak Points to AirPods With Built-In Camera

Apple may be preparing camera-equipped AirPods that use Visual Intelligence to analyse objects around the wearer, according to material reportedly discovered in the company’s latest macOS release candidate.

MacRumors found a video in macOS 26.7 RC that appears to demonstrate the feature. The footage shows a person holding up a book and interacting with Siri about it using visual information, suggesting the AirPods could capture information about objects in front of the user.

AirPods camera could work with Visual Intelligence

The video describes Visual Intelligence as a way to save information about things a user encounters. MacRumors also reported finding a line of code in Apple’s software indicating that the AirPods could alert users when hair or another obstruction covers the camera.

The discovery adds to earlier reporting that Apple has been developing AirPods equipped with cameras. Bloomberg reported in May that the device had reached late-stage testing.

According to that report, the camera-equipped model resembles the AirPods Pro 3 but uses a longer stem. An LED light would indicate when data is being transmitted to the cloud.

Apple prepares more devices for visual AI.

Other wearable devices already combine cameras with artificial intelligence to provide information about auser’ss surroundings. Products such as Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and devices from Looki and Rokid offer similar visual features.

Bloomberg previously reported that Apple had targeted the first half of 2026 for the new AirPods. With Apple’s updated Siri now expected to ship in September, the company is reportedly looking to introduce the AirPods alongside its operating system updates.

The software discovery provides another indication that Apple is developing ways to bring visual intelligence beyond the iPhone. Apple has not announced the camera-equipped AirPods described in the reports, so their final specifications and launch plans remain unconfirmed.