Rumor has it that Apple has been hard at work on AirPods with built-in cameras for a while now. But, apparently, they might come out even sooner than expected.
This information comes courtesy of Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter over at Bloomberg. According to Gurman, Apple has been internally testing two versions of AirPods with cameras, one codenamed B798 and another codenamed B790. The former is the one we’ve known about for a while, but the latter was spotted more recently and is reportedly coming along more quickly, Gurman reported.
Gurman said references to the B790 model are already appearing in iOS 27 beta code, and Apple could launch the product as soon as this year. Given that there isn’t all that much of “this year” left, we could see these new AirPods sooner rather than later. If Apple sticks to its usual schedule, new AirPods could arrive at the September iPhone launch event alongside the iPhone 18; the Apple AirPods Pro 3 were unveiled on Sept. 9, at last year’s iPhone 17 launch event.
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As for the name, rumors suggest AI-powered AirPods could be launched under a name like AirPods Pro Ultra.
Gurman didn’t share any specifics about what makes the B790 different from the other previously reported model, but older news reports about the camera-equipped AirPods suggested Apple is aiming more for a wearable AI assistant than a surveillance or content-creation device. The cameras will not capture photos or videos; rather, they will analyze what they see to support an onboard assistant like, say, the new Siri AI. There would also be a small onboard LED privacy indicator to let other people know the cameras are at work, similar to smart glasses.
Speaking of smart glasses and privacy, Gurman recently reported that Apple may delay the launch of its rumored smart glasses after a backlash to Meta Ray-Ban glasses and inappropriate and harassing behavior by some users.
Presumably, Apple will also keep selling AirPods that are only useful for listening to podcasts and music, too.
