via TechCrunch
Apple's New macOS Update Leaks Video of AirPods with Built-In Camera
Apple appears to be preparing launch materials for its upcoming camera-equipped AirPods, as a leaked video discovered in the latest macOS update suggests. The footage, spotted by MacRumors, hints at the company's plans to integrate its Visual Intelligence feature into the earbuds.
The video, found in the macOS 26.7 Release Candidate (RC), shows a man holding up a book and asking Siri about it using visual information. The voiceover explains, "With Visual Intelligence, your world becomes savable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later."
According to MacRumors, these new AirPods are expected to feature a camera that can examine objects in front of the user and answer questions about them. The report also reveals a line in the software code indicating that the AirPods will notify users if something, such as hair, is obstructing the camera.
Earlier in May, Bloomberg reported that Apple was in the advanced testing stages of such a device. The camera-equipped AirPods are said to resemble the AirPods Pro 3 but with a longer stem and an LED light to indicate when data is being transmitted to the cloud.
The concept isn't entirely new—other devices like the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, Looki pendant, and Rokid's smart glasses already offer similar functionality. However, this move could be Apple's strategy to integrate real-world intelligence into its devices before launching its own smart glasses.
Bloomberg noted that Apple initially aimed to release the new AirPods in the first half of 2026. Now, with the upcoming launch of the redesigned Siri in September, the company is likely to debut the AirPods alongside its latest operating system updates.