AirPods with camera: Confusion about codenames and schedule
Apple has been working on earbuds with an integrated AI camera for years. One codename has apparently been postponed, another has appeared in an iOS 27 beta.
Sporting person with AirPods Pro 3: Music and heart rate.
(Image: Apple)
Will there still be new AirPods this year? The rumor mill was recently unsure whether a new model with an integrated mini-camera for AI applications would be released soon. Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman now believes that Apple is internally working on two different variants, one of which is “further along” and could come onto the market “as early as this year”. The codenames are also confusing: there are at least two, one of which is said to have appeared in the beta code of iOS 27.
Internal competition with two devices?
According to Gurman, Apple has been working on camera AirPods with the internal codename B798 “for years”. These were allegedly supposed to be released in 2026, before being postponed to 2027. “But Apple has developed another version under the codename B790.” The company is known for pursuing multiple competing variants of a product internally. In addition to the fact that B790 has appeared in the beta code of iOS 27, there is also said to be an internal roadmap at Apple that speaks of a release in 2026.
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It remains unclear what differences the devices Apple is developing in parallel will have. At one point, it was said that the iPhone manufacturer was planning a kind of second version of the AirPods Pro 3 from last year, which would additionally have the aforementioned camera(s). How exactly this will be implemented remains unclear. It could “only” be an infrared camera that captures gesture controls, among other things. Alternatively, image capture could also be used for Apple's Visual Intelligence service, which analyzes the environment using AI. This is already possible with the iPhone and is expected to improve further as part of Siri AI – for example, you can film a concert poster and get more information, and enter the data into your calendar. Sights can be recognized, as can plants or laundry labels.
No recordings with the AirPods
The camera AirPods, on the other hand, are not intended to serve as a novel photo tool; there is no possibility of taking recordings with them. The sensors are reportedly located in the stems of the AirPods, which have therefore been slightly lengthened – the product is otherwise said to resemble the current AirPods Pro 3.
The sound is also said to remain unchanged. In May, it was reported that the devices had already reached the Design Validation Test stage, where mass production is examined. It is unclear which of the two codenames was referred to at the time.
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