Analysis of the macOS Tahoe 26.7 operating system code has uncovered additional information about upcoming camera AirPods, which Apple is projected to release only in 2027. The new data includes image resolution, the capability for active or passive shooting modes, and the device's functional features.
The idea of headphones with a camera has long been a subject of rumors surrounding Apple. Recently, this topic gained momentum again after a video file was found in the release candidate version of the same macOS Tahoe 26.7, used on company computers. This demonstration showed the use of the headphones to capture images of a book using Apple's Visual Intelligence feature.
Thanks to the user Mactracker from the MacRumors forum, more information about this future accessory has become available. This information is contained within a hidden framework called 'AccessorySensorManager'.
According to the code analysis, the AirPods use their two cameras (one in each earbud) to capture pairs of RGB color images with a resolution of 1 megapixel. This allows Visual Intelligence to analyze the same scene from two different angles. The cameras only capture static images periodically, rather than recording video. The code indicates the capture frequency and signals the continuous sending of pairs of static shots at a certain rate.
Camera AirPods support active and passive shooting modes. Although the code does not explain these modes, MacRumors speculated that the active mode is initiated by a voice command to Siri. In active mode, the registered image size is 640 x 640 pixels, which increases to 1024 x 1024 pixels after processing, corresponding to approximately 0.4 and 1 megapixel, respectively. In passive mode, the sizes are smaller: 320 x 320 pixels (0.1 megapixel) before processing and 512 x 512 pixels (0.25 megapixel) after.
However, Mactracker notes the absence of any indication of maximum resolution, leaving open the possibility that the headphones might have larger sensors. The passive camera mode is intended for better environmental awareness. The framework mentions nearby talking people, changes in sound, changes in posture, head rotation, and movements outside the defined area.
Furthermore, the code includes lens distortion correction, dual camera calibration, and motion sensors. Images taken during excessive movement or partial occlusion are discarded. Regarding hardware, the code shows that the headphones are capable of performing the necessary processing to determine the presence of a person in the shot. There are also references to hardware brightness, suggesting the headphones may have lighting to indicate camera usage.
This last point is interesting: smart glasses, such as those from Meta, are equipped with LEDs to denote the photography or video recording process. This should prevent privacy issues, but it is not enough yet. Even with an indicator light, the camera AirPods, according to Mark Gurman, a Bloomberg journalist covering Apple's activities, should not have such functions because they do not take photos or videos—the images are exclusively for Visual Intelligence.
Gurman also reported that the headphones appearing in the leak are a prototype codenamed B790, based on the third-generation AirPods. The journalist noted that this model was canceled, and Apple is currently working on version B798, expected in 2027.
