Apple's Newest AirPods to Feature Camera, Here's Its Function

Apple is preparing to launch AirPods equipped with a camera. This news gained traction after a hidden demonstration video was discovered within the code of the macOS 26.7 Release Candidate operating system, released in early August 2026.

According to Macworld on 17 August 2026, the device with the codename B790 is likely to be introduced at the new iPhone launch event in early September.

The camera on these AirPods is not designed to take photos or videos like a phone camera. Its primary function is to serve as the ‘eyes’ for Siri, enabling the assistant to understand what the user is looking at. This technology, called Visual Intelligence, allows the AirPods to capture images from the user’s line of sight and send them to the iPhone for immediate analysis.

In the leaked demonstration video, a person is seen holding a book. The camera on the AirPods immediately recognises the object, and Siri’s voice is heard explaining: ‘With Visual Intelligence, the world you see can be saved. See something interesting? Just ask me to save it for later.’

This means users can ask about anything in front of them without needing to take out their phone.

Thanks to major improvements to the Visual Intelligence system in iOS 27, the AirPods camera can provide various practical information. For example, it can recognise food packaging and display nutritional information, help split bills automatically, and provide explanations about objects or places the user is looking at. Siri effectively gains sight, able to answer questions about the surrounding environment directly.

Because the camera faces forward, Apple has also added a warning feature. If the camera’s view is obstructed, for instance by the user’s hair, the system will display a message: ‘For the most accurate information about your surroundings, make sure your AirPods are not covered.’

This demonstrates how important the camera’s position is for clearly seeing what the user is looking at.

The physical form of these camera-equipped AirPods appears almost identical to the AirPods Pro or existing AirPods models currently on the market. It is not yet known whether this new model will replace the existing AirPods line-up or be introduced as a top-tier variant under the name ‘AirPods Ultra’.

If Apple launches them next month, this will be a new breakthrough. Audio devices like AirPods can apparently also see and understand the world around their users.