Apple appears to be preparing camera-equipped AirPods, according to footage and code discovered in a macOS 26.7 release candidate, but the feature may be less intrusive than similar camera-wearables from rivals like Meta. The leaked video shows a man holding up a book while conversing with Siri, suggesting the cameras are intended to power an upgraded "Visual Intelligence" assistant rather than to record photos or video, which could ease privacy concerns about people being filmed without consent.

According to earlier reporting from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the cameras in both earbuds would only capture low-resolution visual information to help Siri understand a user's surroundings, such as identifying a book or cooking ingredients, or assisting with walking directions, rather than functioning as recording devices. The leaked code also references a "Hair Detected" error to warn users when their hair blocks the camera. The feature is expected to accompany Apple's revamped Siri, launching alongside iOS 27 in September, as part of a broader push to reduce reliance on the iPhone screen for everyday AI interactions.