Apple is working on camera-equipped AirPods that appear to be nearly ready to launch, based on a video MacRumors found in the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate. In a short demo, a man holds a book up so the camera in the AirPods can see the title. "With Visual Intelligence, your world becomes savable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later," says the voiceover text.

Candid commentary on technology, retro games, Macs and other things, written by Craig Grannell.

Forget a camera on your face. I want EyePods Pro smart glasses that power up my eyes like AirPods Pro power up my ears

Forget a camera on your face. I want EyePods Pro smart glasses that power up my eyes like AirPods Pro power up my ears

Camera AirPods Code Reveals Image Capture Resolution, Status Light, Person Detection, and MoreApple is working on camera-equipped AirPods, as indicated by various reports and a demo video of them in action discovered earlier this week. The video was found by MacRumors in the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate, but it turns out there are even more details in the code. MacRumors forum member mactracker has discovered a hidden macOS framework called “AccessorySensorManager” that manages sensor data from the AirPods when they are connected to a Mac.MacRumorsTim Hardwick As if a leaked video of the AirPods with Cameras – which I wish they'd call 'EyePods' but I'm guessing they're going to call 'AirPods Pro 4 with Visual Intelligence' – wasn't enough, some leaked code also within the release candidate of macOS Tahoe 26.7 now seems to give away a few more intriguing details about the device. Namely, how the cameras may actually _work_. And actually, this leak could be somewhat _useful_ to Apple because the last one – again, the video of them in action – had people concerned that Apple was about to release some surveillance tech for the masses. Which is a nicer way of saying "PervPods", as the internet has so wonderfully coined. Apple, of course, prides themselves on their reputation with regard to user trust and security. Two traits which Meta, Apple's would-be main competitor in the nascent AI wearable space, decidedly lacks. Was Apple really going to risk throwing away such trust to put some cameras on your ears? This latest leak points to how Apple is clearly trying to get around this issue. As discovered by _MacRumors_ forum member mactracker and summarized by Tim Hardwick, a few key bits: > **AirPods support periodic image capture but not video:** The cameras take internal still frames for Visual Intelligence to process, rather than "taking pictures" or recording video. In "active" mode, the framework can request a synced pair of images, or it can receive a capture rate, where pairs of stills are continually sent at the specified rate. I repeat: no video. In my column last week I suspected exactly this scenario. While Apple will downplay the "picture taking" capabilities of such a device, the reality is that they have to capture some sort of image to make their systems work. But video seems a bridge too far, at least for now. > **Active and passive capture modes use different resolutions:** In "active" mode, likely triggered by the user via Siri, the AirPods capture a 640x640 image and return a processed 1024x1024 image. "That's about 0.4 megapixels of sampled image data, and a little over 1 megapixel for the output frame," mactracker explains. In "passive" mode, they capture a 320x320 image that can return a 320×320 or 512×512 output. "These are capture-specific resolutions, and the physical sensor's native resolution may be larger," adds mactracker. 640x640 is a comically small, low-resolution image. Technically, it's 0.41 megapixels. For comparison, the main camera on the iPhone 17 Pro is _48 megapixels_. That's a full two orders of magnitude. Yes, the processing pushes that image to just over one megapixel – a threshold that was state of the art in... 1991. Interestingly, the "passive" mode cuts such small resolutions in half. Now we're talking early web graphics sizes for images. The kind of images that wouldn't completely clog a 14.4 baud dial-up modem. In other words, if people intend to use these AirPods as surveillance tech, it's going to be pretty shitty surveillance tech. There are literal kids toys that will take far better images. A Fisher-Price spy cam would do an infinitely better job. > **Some processing happens directly on AirPods:** The code mentions "peripheral inference," or on-device detection of whether a person is in view. If true, given the sheer literal size of the AirPods, this would be insanely impressive. But again, those image sizes help! And this will certainly help that privacy narrative if you don't have to send all of those images – even if their comically low resolution state – to your iPhone. Or worse, the cloud. > **Each AirPod likely has a capture indicator light:** The framework contains code that allows it to remotely control a hardware indicator and its brightness, suggesting the AirPods have a light to let other people know when they are capturing still images. Yeah, I also assumed this would be the case, as it's sort of the bare-minimum privacy norm if you have any sort of capture capabilities on a wearable. And this points directly to an issue Apple still could have here... While they'll downplay any talk of "capture" and certainly not frame these as "cameras", the reality remains that – assuming the above capabilities ship – both categorizations are _technically_ true. Apple can and will talk up the low-resolution and on-device work, but some people will still just hear and see wearable cameras here. And while I suspect that society will eventually grow numb to such tech, just as we have with cameras capturing/recording most things thanks to our phones, it's going to take some time.1 In that regard, perhaps it's good that these newfangled AirPods were apparently delayed until 2027 (despite the leak). Apple can let Meta keep taking the early backlash as the industry still grapples with 'Glasshole' scars. * * * 1 With the AI element of all this just further exaccerbating the issues...

Apple is working on camera-equipped AirPods that appear to be nearly ready to launch, based on a video _MacRumors_ found in the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate. In a short demo, a man holds a book up so the camera in the AirPods can see the title. "With Visual Intelligence, your world becomes savable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later," says the voiceover text. > 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 The camera on the AirPods will feed information to ‌Visual Intelligence‌, and Siri will be able to answer questions about the wearer's surroundings and log information. There is a direct reference to setting up ‌Visual Intelligence‌ on the AirPods. If hair is covering the AirPods up, you'll receive an alert. "To get the most accurate information about things in your environment, make sure AirPods are not covered," it says. The camera-equipped AirPods have the codename B790, which was also previously mentioned by _Bloomberg_'s Mark Gurman. Gurman suggested the AirPods could launch as soon as September, so we could see them at the iPhone-centric event where Apple will unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and foldable iPhone Ultra. ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.7 has multiple other mentions of the B790 product, as well as references to a long list of other unreleased Apple products. Related Roundups: AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 3 Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Caution), AirPods Pro (Neutral) Related Forum: AirPods This article, "Apple's Camera-Equipped AirPods Confirmed: See Them in Action" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

The first thing you'll notice is that there is no phone. The second thing you'll notice is that _there. is. no. phone_. It's not just that Apple leaked a codename or numeric reference to the long-rumored AirPods with cameras1 – which I hope they call 'EyePods' but probably something like 'AirPods Vision' or 'AirPods Ultra' is far more likely2 – they inadvertently leaked a _video_ in the release candidate build of macOS 26.7. Yes, not even the new, still-in-beta 'Golden Gate' version of the OS, but the soon-to-be upgraded 'Tahoe' variant. Someone is likely to be in a lot of trouble. Because yes, the 13-second video very clearly shows a man in a room pick up a book as a voiceover says "with Visual Intelligence, your world becomes savable". When I type that out, it makes it sound like this guy might be trying to save the world from disaster. But what he's actually doing is visually capturing the book in front of him so he can recall it later. "See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later," a voice which is clearly intended to be Siri says. The man nods and the video fades out... Visual Intelligence, of course, is nothing new. I've long held that it was one of the most underrated aspects of the iPhone, dating back to when Apple first tried to launch Apple Intelligence two years ago. But it was a bit buried. With iOS 27, it will be baked directly into the all-important Camera app. But again, the difference here in this video is that **there is no iPhone**. And again, that heavily implies that what the man is actually using to capture the book are _the AirPod_ s that he's clearly wearing. At first glance, they don't look different from the current AirPods Pro. But the forensic experts on Xitter seem to think there are subtle differences in the stems. This is obviously where any camera component would likely go.3 So yeah, not only are these 'EyePods' coming, they're very likely coming soon. As in, probably set to be unveiled at the iPhone event in just a few short weeks. That's exciting because it's going to shift Apple into a whole new era. While Apple has long held a leading position in wearables, this will be their first _true_ AI wearable. While a lot of the focus has been on the potential for Apple entering the smart glasses space to meet Meta in market, using the AirPods as their first entry point actually makes a ton of sense. First and foremost, the AirPods are already an insanely popular product. While people made fun of how they looked at first – for the record, I always thought they were ingenious – they're now ubiquitous. You literally can't go anywhere with a crowd without seeing many pairs tucked into peoples' ears. It's true in America, it's true in Europe. They're everywhere. They're mainstream. Contrast this with the Ray-Ban Meta glasses. I've seen a few pairs while out and about this Summer, but it's obviously not in the same ballpark. Estimates have these glasses perhaps around 10 million sold to date. Apple has sold _over 400 million AirPods_ to date, _perhaps closer to 500 million_. It's not meant to be a fair sales comparison as AirPods have been both around longer and sell at lower price points, but the comparison matters when it comes to rolling out AI wearables into the world. Meta smartly partnered with EssilorLuxottica to leverage the Ray-Ban (and later Oakley) brand (and distribution), but these are not Apple-scale hardware. At least not yet. But Meta's partnership was also smart in perhaps a similar way to the playbook Apple will clearly run here. Ray-Ban Meta glasses look like Ray-Bans. AirPods with cameras, at least from what we can see here, look like AirPods. That obviously matters as both companies try to negate the "Glasshole" problem. That is, when Google Glass first started rolling out over a decade ago, they didn't look like anything else on the market. They were a sort of visor with a prism in the corner where information was displayed. On paper, this sounded cool – futuristic. In person... well, you sort of looked like an asshole. That's both not fair and entirely fair. If they simply looked weird, that would be one thing – again, the AirPods looked weird to many people to start. But the fact that they had a camera on them was, well, a problem. The Ray-Ban Metas also obviously have cameras, but thanks to the aforementioned use of the standard, iconic Ray-Ban designs, the system is far more subtle. This is an arguably _bigger_ problem for people who care about privacy and potential surveillance, but at least the design isn't as in-your-face as Google Glass was. People like 'new' except when it comes to merging new design with new technology. Better to start with old design and new technology. Again, that's also what it seems like Apple is doing here with AirPods. We'll have to see what they look like from the front, but the fact that the overall footprint isn't wildly different suggests they'll be far more subtle in the wild. Had Apple started with smart glasses, unless perhaps they also teamed up with a famous eyewear brand, the result would be far more in-your-face, quite literally. Instead, when those first Apple smart glasses – iGlasses? – hit next year, the market should have about a year of getting used to Apple's first AI wearables – with cameras – in the market in the form of these new AirPods. That doesn't mean there won't be backlash against Apple's entry, but it certainly will help to blunt the potential impact. One of the most surprising elements of the Ray-Ban Metas (still such an awkward name to write and say) has been that there _hasn't been_ a ton of backlash to date. Again, credit for Meta for knowing to partner with EssilorLuxottica here. But as the sales are growing – and as Meta does Meta things – the backlash is growing. To the point where I wouldn't be shocked if Apple further pushes out their own smart glasses offerings to try to distance themselves from any would-be controversy. Oh and by the way, it's not just the cameras. It's the cameras mixed with the other currently most controversial technology in the world: AI. The Ray-Ban Metas launched as more of a cameras-plus-music thing, and that perhaps also helped ease any controversy. But as Meta has ramped up their AI efforts, the tech is becoming more of a focal point with the glasses too, which is naturally aiding in ramping any controversy surrounding them. Apple will seemingly be going head-first into such controversy with the AI focus from day one. Sorry, I mean 'Apple Intelligence' – or 'Visual Intelligence' not AI, totally different, you see. There had been some talk that these AirPods with cameras wouldn't actually be able to take pictures (or video) but instead would simply be to "look" at the world in real time. This video seems to negate that notion – or, at the very least, it suggests the cameras are used to look at and remember an object, even if it doesn't take an actual picture. (But I assume it will take a picture.) Video might be off the table though, even if just at first. Maybe Apple enables this as people grow more comfortable with such devices out in the wild. To that end, when these AirPods with cameras are pulling in information, surely there will be some sort of indicator? A light on the stems, perhaps? That might be slightly weird as you don't have such an indicator on the back of your phone, but again, this is about establishing new norms and trying to help people be at ease around this new technology. Apple, of course, has a natural advantage here in that they're generally viewed as the most privacy-centric of the Big Tech players. They'll undoubtedly note that any data ingested by these devices will be either securely handled on-device (presumably on your iPhone) or, if you choose, via their secure cloud set-up. They're going to triple-down on any privacy messaging here. Meta, on the other hand, is undoubtedly last on the Big Tech trust scale. Again, it's sort of incredible that the Ray-Ban Metas are working at all... But Apple still runs a real risk here in launching not just a wearable with cameras, but one entirely built around AI. This is walking right into the lion's den. Perhaps not wearing Google Glass, but still, there's some real Glasshole risk here. Which is why the AirPods are the right first step to take. 👇 ****Previously, on**** _****Spyglass****_****...**** EyePodsAirPods with cameras aren’t to take pictures, but to let Siri “see”…SpyglassM.G. SieglerThere Is No PhoneOpenAI is not building a phone. Amazon is not building a phone. And now SpaceX is not building a phone. Are you sensing a trend? The trend is that basically the entire tech industry is rumored to once again be building their own smartphones. But they’re all denying it.SpyglassM.G. SieglerMeta’s Recurring Apple NightmareWith smartglasses, Apple is once again entering Meta’s turf. Wielding a familiar weapon: the iPhone…SpyglassM.G. Siegler * * * 1 Something which they've also been doing plenty of here as well! 2 We know John Ternus isn't afraid to shake things up a bit – even branding-wise, with things like the MacBook Neo, so perhaps we get a new sub-brand here? 'AirPods Neo'? 'AirPods See'? 'AirPods Intelligence'? 'AIrPods'? 3 Though I suppose it's possible they're at end of of the AirPods' main bulb?

Apple’s Camera-Equipped AirPods Reach Late Testing in AI Device PushApple Inc. has reached the late stages of development for new AirPods with built-in cameras, a significant milestone for what will likely be its first wearable device designed for the artificial intelligence era.BloombergMark Gurman We may not have to wait much longer for Apple's first AI wearable, it seems: > Apple Inc. has reached the late stages of development for new AirPods with built-in cameras, a significant milestone for what will likely be its first wearable device designed for the artificial intelligence era. > > The project has entered a phase where prototypes feature a near-final design and capabilities, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The earbuds, which rely on cameras to see the space surrounding a user and provide information, are in advanced testing, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the work is still under wraps. This is perhaps yet another promising sign that Apple believes their deal with Google will provide an _actually_ viable and perhaps even impressive Siri this time. FAMOUS LAST WORDS, yes. But I remain cautiously optimistic here. Of course, Gurman later couches the report noting that Apple could push out any launch further if the AI to power such features isn't up to snuff yet (and it sounds like they had initially targeted this device for the first half of this year, but well, the Siri situation is creating headaches for a lot of groups at Apple). Anyway, unless Apple has somehow managed to muck up Gemini with their own distillation, we should be good to go. Gemini can do what it sounds like Apple would like these AirPods with cameras to do _right now_. And actually has been able to for _years_ , dating back to Google Lens. Also, Apple already has similar capabilities built into iOS with "Visual Intelligence" which leverages, yes, Google. But that's their Image Search API, this is different. It's more similar to leveraging ChatGPT as they also do right now, but again, this is now going to be Siri itself, powered by Gemini under-the-hood, doing this, it seems. Oh yes, and _from your AirPods_ , not your iPhone camera. > The cameras essentially act as eyes for the Siri digital assistant and aren’t designed to take photos or video. These components — located in both the right and left earbuds — allow the device to capture visual information in low resolution. Other than longer stems to accommodate the cameras, the product will resemble the AirPods Pro 3. This makes sense since trying to take pictures from your ears would undoubtedly result in shitty pictures. So it's more like having eyes looking out from your jawline, which is still a bit odd, but close enough to your actual eyes that it should make for an interesting feature. As a man who rocks a beard that can grow quite robust at times, I have long been worried about it getting in the way of such a rumored feature, but presumably the AI can sort that out? Or Apple's design prowess – hence the stems on this version of the AirPods getting a bit longer again to accommodate the cameras. Or I guess I can just shave?1 > The idea is to let users ask questions about an item they might be looking at. For instance, they could be facing food ingredients and ask what they should cook for dinner. It’s a similar experience to what someone gets from uploading photos in AI services like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or the iPhone’s own Visual Intelligence function. While AirPods with cameras to take pictures made no sense to me (just as the Apple Watch with cameras made no sense to me), the Visual Intelligence context actually makes a lot of sense to me. Clearly, Apple knows that they have a unique advantage here thanks to their devices being in billions of hands, which is why they're revamping the feature in the iPhone as well to be more prominent. While Apple may be behind in the current state of AI, if they can start ingesting real time imagery from hundreds of millions of devices around the world well... that's a data set that perhaps only Samsung (and by extension, Google) can match. But those brands won't be as trusted as Apple is here to have _cameras on your face_. Speaking of: > Apple also aims to address privacy concerns from people who don’t want to be filmed by gadgets — an issue for smart glasses as well. The company has built a small LED light into the earbuds that will turn on when visual data is being fed into the cloud. Given the small size of earbuds, it’s unclear how visible the light actually will be. AirPods are ubiquitous enough that most people at first won't think twice about seeing a slightly different version. But that could change fast if this version becomes ubiquitous and people start to realize that these are cameras. There's been surprisingly little backlash against the Ray-Ban Meta smartglasses to date – though there's some, and some growing concerns – especially relative to the "glasshole" days of old. But all of this feels one incident away from becoming a problem. And it sounds like Apple could soon be bucketed into this group as well soon. It's a risk, but clearly worth it for the functionality. **One more thing:** It sounds like these AirPods with cameras specifically _will not_ be used to add more/new gesture controls into Apple's device ecosystem. That's a mild surprise as there had been previous reports about such functionality (which made the camera system in AirPods make more sense than again, taking pictures). But perhaps Apple is just focused on one thing at a time here. Too weird? Just get around the beard! * * * 1 Maybe "you're trimming your facial hair wrong" will be the new "you're holding it wrong?"