September 4, 2026, 6:03 am | Read time: 3 minutes
For some time now, there has been speculation about AirPods with integrated camera technology. Clues about this appeared in a pre-release version of macOS. Now, more details have emerged. A newly discovered code section shows how the technology might work. According to this, the earbuds are supposed to capture images from multiple angles and use the data for AI functions. However, it remains unclear which AirPods generation might be the first to hit the market with such features.
Each Earbud to Have Its Own Camera Sensor
The MacRumors forum member “mactracker” has found a hidden macOS framework named “AccessorySensorManager.” The included hints suggest that Apple might equip each earbud with its own camera sensor.
Both sensors are expected to deliver synchronized color images with a resolution of up to one megapixel. The images could then be used for Apple’s “Visual Intelligence.” This would make it possible to evaluate the environment from two different perspectives. Artificial intelligence plays a central role in processing the captured information.
Technology Apparently Not Intended for Traditional Photos
According to the information, the AirPods are not meant to take conventional photos or videos. Instead, the earbuds capture individual images or a series of single shots.
An active mode could be initiated via Siri. In this case, the AirPods take a picture with 640 x 640 pixels. The system then generates a processed image with 1024 x 1024 pixels. “This corresponds to about 0.4 megapixels of sampled image data and slightly more than one megapixel for the output image,” explains mactracker.
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Passive Mode Responds to the Environment
Additionally, the code describes a passive operating mode. This mode works with lower resolution and responds to various signals from the environment, such as ambient noise, body posture, and head movements.
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However, it is not clear from the code whether each of these conditions automatically triggers a capture. Movements are also considered, including lens distortion correction and procedures for calibrating cameras and motion sensors.
Will Camera AirPods Arrive in 2027?
The model shown in a demo video is said to be based on a variant of the AirPods Pro 3. Internally, this version was codenamed “B790.”
According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Apple has since scrapped this model. Instead, the company is already working on a new generation with the codename B798. Gurman expects that AirPods with camera functionality could appear in 2027. Therefore, it is also possible that the newly discovered features still relate to the already discarded model.