A promotional video found inside the release candidate of macOS Tahoe 26.7 has all but confirmed that Apple’s camera-equipped AirPods are real and likely weeks away from an official announcement. The short clip, first reported by MacRumors, shows a person wearing AirPods asking Siri to remember a book they’re holding up — demonstrating how the built-in camera feeds Apple’s Visual Intelligence feature. This is not a leak from anonymous sources: Apple itself prepared the promotional material, complete with voiceover and a scripted use case, and it was embedded in an official macOS build. References to the same earbuds were also previously found in the code of the upcoming iOS 27.
What you need to know
- A promo video for camera-equipped AirPods was discovered inside the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate, suggesting an imminent launch.
- The camera is designed exclusively for Visual Intelligence — analyzing surroundings and saving information via Siri — not for taking photos or video.
- The earbuds carry the codename B790, previously cited by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who indicated a launch later this year. A second model, codenamed B798, is reportedly in development for 2027.
- Visually, the new AirPods closely resemble the current AirPods Pro, though the stem appears noticeably thicker to accommodate the camera module.
What the promo video shows
The clip lasts only a few seconds but demonstrates the core concept. A man holds a book up near his face so the camera in the earbuds can see the cover. A voiceover explains that users can now save things from the world around them — see something interesting, ask Siri to set it aside for later. This is the Visual Intelligence integration around which Apple appears to be building the entire product narrative.
Camera-equipped AirPods will be tied to Siri and AI
The cameras themselves are not shown directly in the video. Externally, the earbuds look nearly identical to the current AirPods Pro, except the stem appears noticeably thicker — presumably to house the camera module. Insider Aaron Perris posted the same video on X, making it viewable by anyone, not just those digging through macOS builds.
Visually, the earbuds resemble the current AirPods Pro
The fact that Apple placed a polished promotional clip — with voiceover and a scripted scenario — inside a beta build is notable. Apple rarely reveals future products ahead of time, and the presence of finished marketing material strongly suggests the product is near its final stage.
Why earbuds need a camera — and what they won’t do
It is important to note that these AirPods are not designed for taking photos or recording video. The camera exists solely to feed imagery to Visual Intelligence: Siri analyzes what is in front of the wearer, answers questions about the surroundings, and saves relevant information. In effect, the assistant gains eyes and sees what the user sees.
Currently, Visual Intelligence relies only on the iPhone camera
Code references found in the same build include a direct mention of Visual Intelligence settings on the earbuds themselves, as well as a warning for when something obstructs the camera’s view. If hair covers the camera, the system will send a notification asking the user to clear the earbud, otherwise the environmental data will be inaccurate. This level of detail — user-facing alerts for camera obstruction — suggests a product that is very close to shipping, not an early prototype.
The envisioned use case is straightforward: walk down the street, spot a poster or book cover, ask Siri to save it for later, and the assistant stores the information without the user ever touching their phone. The earbuds would evolve from an audio accessory into a persistent AI assistant that always looks forward alongside the wearer.
Codenames and a second model
The camera-equipped AirPods carry the codename B790 — the same identifier previously cited by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who indicated a launch later this year. The macOS Tahoe 26.7 build contains references to B790 alongside code for an “image stream,” meaning a live camera feed. The promo video, the code references, and Gurman’s reporting all point toward the same timeline.
The earbuds will likely look like this, or the camera may be integrated into the very tip of the stem
Notably, B790 is not the only camera-equipped model Apple is reportedly working on. A second device under the codename B798 is also in development, though it is not expected until 2027. According to the source, this could be a more expensive, more advanced version — possibly related to what has been discussed as “AirPods Ultra.” This suggests that cameras in earbuds are not a one-off experiment for Apple but a product direction the company intends to develop over several years.
Two separate models under different codenames also hint at a price spread. It would be logical to expect a more accessible version this fall and a premium model later, once the technology has been refined on a mass-market device. Apple has used this staggered approach before: a feature debuts in one product line and migrates to others a year later.
When to expect the official announcement
Given that Apple embedded a finished promotional clip in a release candidate of macOS, the company is unlikely to delay the presentation much longer. According to the source, the earbuds will most likely be unveiled in September, at the same event where the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone Ultra are expected to be introduced. For Apple, this would be a convenient pairing: a new smartphone lineup alongside a distinctive accessory with a capability no competitor currently offers.
Pricing and exact specifications remain unknown and will not be confirmed until the official event. However, the trajectory is clear: Apple has been extending Visual Intelligence across its device ecosystem — from iPhone to Apple Watch — and AirPods, which sit right next to the wearer’s eyes, appear to be the next logical step. Until the announcement, key details such as price, full feature list, and supported device compatibility should be treated as unconfirmed.
