In macOS 26.7: Apple leaks AirPods with camera – and other devices
In the Release Candidate of macOS 26.7, there is a video showing a new AirPods model with a camera in action. Various other devices are also in the code.
AirPods Pro 3: No camera, but heart rate monitoring.
(Image: Apple)
Surprise in the code: Apple has leaked various devices as part of the release candidate version of macOS 26.7, which was released on Tuesday night, including a remarkable video of a new AirPods Pro model with a camera. How such a large number of still-secret details came to be published amidst an upcoming public release remains unclear. The information was discovered by code leak specialist Aaron Perris, who works for Macrumors, among others.
Visual Intelligence in Apple's AirPods
For many months, there have been rumors that Apple intends to equip a future AirPods Pro model with an image capture function. Initially, it was said that this should serve gesture control; later, it was about the use of Siri AI or Apple's image AI Visual Intelligence. The video contained in macOS 26.7 demonstrates that the latter is true. In the 13-second clip, you can see a person picking up a book and then telling Siri that they want to “save” it. It remains unclear whether a photo or video is actually being taken or if Visual Intelligence is just capturing the data.
An off-voice, apparently meant to represent Siri, says, “With Visual Intelligence, your world becomes savable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later.” The approach is reminiscent of what is already known from the iPhone use of Visual Intelligence – with the difference that here the camera is in Apple's AirPods. The integration of such technology into the earbuds is likely to raise questions about privacy protection. Meta faced massive accusations in connection with the release of its smart glasses with cameras, most recently even criminal charges. What type of camera Apple is installing is still unclear. Information on setting up Visual Intelligence is located directly in the AirPods setup routine. Apple mentions, among other things, the possibility that the devices could answer questions about the environment and, as mentioned in the video, save information. The system also includes a warning if the AirPods are covered by hair or other items like hats.
Further leaks in the release candidate of macOS 26.7
The AirPods camera leaks are not the only ones. In macOS 26.7 Release Candidate, according to Perris, codenames of Apple's new Home Hub, new HomePod minis and a new Apple TV remote, an as-yet-unknown Home operating system codenamed “Pebble,” and various new colors for HomePods are mentioned, among others.
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Also included are the new AirPods models along with two Beats devices and the new iPhones of the fall, three new Mac models, and a new iPad mini – each covered by corresponding “feature flags.” Various as-yet-unknown model numbers and a previously unknown headset from the Vision series are also listed. The hints do not necessarily lead to actual hardware; sometimes feature flags are only temporarily integrated by Apple.
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