Apple's camera AirPods are pushed to 2027 — and the full-camera version may be dead
Apple's camera-equipped AirPods will not arrive this fall. Despite a demo video surfacing inside the macOS 26.7 RC firmware last week, Bloomberg (Gurman) confirms the earbuds are still on track for a 2027 release — a timeline Gurman had already reported before the leak reignited speculation about a September reveal.
The hardware
The model shown in the leaked clip carries the internal codename B790. It does not have full cameras. Instead, it uses low-resolution sensors designed exclusively to feed Apple's Visual Intelligence — the Siri AI feature that reads context from your surroundings. These sensors cannot take photos or record video, a deliberate choice Apple appears to have made with privacy front and center.
A second model, codenamed B798, was reportedly in development with proper cameras. That project now looks cancelled or indefinitely frozen. The likely reason: Meta's smart glasses scandal. Earlier this year, reporting by TechCrunch revealed that Meta contractors in Kenya had reviewed intimate footage captured by Ray-Ban Meta glasses users, triggering a class action lawsuit and an international backlash. Apple's leadership reportedly took note.
The race for AI wearables
Apple's delay hands a longer runway to rivals already shipping AI-powered hearables and glasses. Meta's Ray-Ban line remains the most visible product in the space despite its legal troubles. Google and Samsung are both pushing AI deeper into their own earbuds. Apple entering in 2027 — over a year behind where leakers expected — risks losing ground in a category it could have defined.
The B790's low-resolution approach is the smarter bet for regulatory and public-trust reasons, especially as the FTC looks more closely at always-on sensors in consumer devices. But "smarter" and "on time" are not the same thing.
No pricing, pre-order dates, or retail availability have been announced for any market. Gurman's reporting sets 2027 as the earliest realistic window — and Apple's track record of pushing hardware timelines suggests that date is not a guarantee either.