Apple has accidentally shown its camera-equipped AirPods Pro in action, raising hopes that a launch was close. The footage is genuine, but the timing it appeared to reveal is not.
In a developer version of macOS 26.7, a hidden video showed the earbuds using Visual Intelligence, Apple’s system for recognising objects and providing real-world information. MacRumors first noticed the file just weeks ahead of Apple’s expected September iPhone event.
It seemed like it was going to be unveiled, but a Bloomberg report confirmed the earbuds are still not on Apple’s 2026 release schedule and are still expected next year.
Apple had apparently been hoping to introduce them this year and began advanced employee testing in the spring. Later the company had to postpone production due to supply-chain issues and unfinished software.
Here is your first look at AirPods with Cameras in action using Visual Intelligence.
— Aaron (@aaronp613) August 18, 2026
This video file came from macOS 26.7 RC pic.twitter.com/yo7RI4MCeu
Supposedly the leaked video is based on a prototype internally dubbed B790 and is based on the AirPods Pro 3. Apple has also been testing B798, a newer design with the next generation of AirPods Pro inside. So that clip could show a real product but not the version customers will get.
A camera that isn’t really a camera
Despite the name, the AirPods are not expected to take pictures or record video. They would have low-resolution sensors scanning the wearer’s surroundings, enabling Visual Intelligence, Siri and other AI tools to spot objects or deliver information related to what the user is seeing.
Apple apparently wants to avoid that suspicion that hung over earlier camera-equipped wearables. Its marketing as a privacy-focused company might help, but it will still need a clear way to show when the sensors are active, along with what happens with the information they gather.
Read more: Leak exposes Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max camera upgrades
The new AirPods Pro, should they arrive in 2027, will be part of Apple’s expected entry into AI hardware. The company has also been working on smart glasses and has considered a camera-equipped pendant along with a foldable iPhone.
