Apple’s Camera‑Equipped AirPods May Arrive This Fall

It’s been a long, winding road, but the whispers about Apple slipping a tiny camera into its AirPods are finally getting louder. After months of speculation that the feature would be delayed until next year, a fresh leak suggests we might actually see a prototype hit stores before the calendar flips to 2027.

The story began with a single codename – B798 – which many assumed would be the lone “camera AirPods” product. That version is still on track for a 2027 debut, apparently a more polished, perhaps higher‑resolution iteration.

Enter the lesser‑known B790. According to the Power On newsletter, Apple has been working on two parallel tracks: the flagship B798 and a companion B790 that appears to be further along in development. The B790 name popped up in iOS 27’s source code and has even been plotted on Apple’s internal roadmap for a launch as soon as this fall.

In fact, developer Sam Henri Gold spotted references to B790 in the iOS 27 beta 2 build just last month. That’s not a typo – the code literally mentions the hardware, implying Apple expects the device to be ready for integration with the upcoming OS.

If the rumors hold water, we could be looking at a September release for the first camera‑enabled AirPods. The design is expected to resemble today’s AirPods Pro, but with slightly longer stems to house the tiny lenses. Apple will likely add an LED indicator that lights up whenever visual data is being streamed to the cloud – a little privacy cue that feels very Apple‑ish.

What will differentiate the B790 from the later‑stage B798? At this point it’s anyone’s guess. The B790 might be a “proof‑of‑concept” model, while the B798 could bring higher‑resolution sensors, better low‑light performance, or even additional AI‑driven features under Apple’s Visual Intelligence umbrella.

All of this ties into Apple’s broader push toward on‑device visual intelligence – turning everyday accessories into smart sensors that can recognize objects, translate text, or help with AR experiences without a constant trip to the cloud.

So, while we still don’t have a full spec sheet, the odds are looking better than ever that we’ll see Apple’s first camera‑AirPods on store shelves before the year ends. Keep an eye on Apple’s events in September – you might just hear a demo of the new B790 in action.