Apple is working on AirPods that have cameras for feeding data to Siri. The new earbuds will be Apple's first AI wearable, and they're expected to launch sometime in 2027.

Leaked Video

Apple accidentally left a demo video featuring its rumored camera-equipped AirPods in macOS Tahoe 26.7 in mid-August. In the demo, a man holds up a book so the cameras in the AirPods can see the title. "With Visual Intelligence, your world becomes savable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later," says the voiceover.

 

Here is your first look at AirPods with Cameras in action using Visual Intelligence.

This video file came from macOS 26.7 RC pic.twitter.com/yo7RI4MCeu

— Aaron (@aaronp613) August 18, 2026

The cameras on the AirPods will feed information to ‌Visual Intelligence‌, and ‌Siri‌ will be able to answer questions about the wearer's surroundings and log information. There is a direct reference to setting up ‌Visual Intelligence‌ on the AirPods.

If hair is covering the AirPods up, you'll receive an alert. "To get the most accurate information about things in your environment, make sure AirPods are not covered," it says.

Two Versions

Rumors about camera-equipped AirPods have been a little confusing. Most of the rumors about the AirPods with cameras were about a product with the codename B798. In June, Gurman said the camera AirPods had been delayed because of issues with ‌Siri‌ AI, and would not launch until September 2027 alongside the 20th anniversary iPhone.

In early August, Gurman revised his launch timing and said Apple was close to debuting camera AirPods with the codename B790. The B790 AirPods had apparently been progressing alongside the B798 model, and Gurman said the company "famously creates competing versions of the same product internally," with B790 closer to launch than B798. Then in mid-August, multiple references to the B790 version were spotted in ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.7. After B790 was discovered, Gurman claimed the AirPods were no longer on Apple's release schedule, and Apple has no plans to release camera-equipped AirPods before 2027.

Gurman said B790 is a version of the AirPods Pro 3 with cameras, while B798 is a future AirPods Pro model with cameras.

Design

The AirPods will look similar to the current ‌AirPods Pro 3‌, but with cameras embedded in the stem. Apple may include a light that will come on when visual data from the AirPods is being sent to the cloud. The LED will let people around the wearer know the cameras are in use.

Size, design, and fit are expected to remain largely the same for the earbuds and the charging case, with the exception of the changes to the stem.

Features

The cameras in the AirPods will be used for sending data about the wearer's surroundings to ‌Siri‌, giving ‌Siri‌ more information about where the user is and what's nearby.

‌Siri‌ will be able to answer questions about objects or whatever the wearer happens to be looking at. The camera-equipped AirPods could be useful for more exact turn-by-turn directions when walking, contextual reminders, 3D mapping, and more.

The iPhone already has ‌Visual Intelligence‌, which uses AI to identify plants, animals, landmarks, art, books, and more. Camera-equipped AirPods will be able to supply data for ‌Visual Intelligence‌ without the need to use the Camera app.

H3 Chip

Apple is working on an upgraded H3 chip and it could make its first appearance in the camera-equipped AirPods. The H3 chip is expected to bring latency improvements and better audio quality.

Technical Details

Code in ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.7 shows how the cameras in the AirPods will work. Of note, there's no mention of an infrared sensor, despite rumors suggesting there would be one.

• Two cameras - There are individual camera sensors in both the left and right earbuds.


• Paired color images - The cameras take synchronized RGB still images of up to 1 megapixel, each with the same frame ID. The cameras give ‌Visual Intelligence‌ a look at the same scene from two angles.


• No video - The cameras can take a series of pictures for ‌Visual Intelligence‌, but there is no video recording option.


• Resolution - There's an "active" mode that's likely triggered when the wearer activates ‌Siri‌ where the AirPods capture a 640x640 image. In a separate passive mode, they capture a 320x320 image. The sensors are capable of higher-quality images, but Apple appears to be capturing a specific image size.


• Passive image capture - Passive capture mode appears to be for background environmental awareness, triggered by nearby speech, audio changes, posture changes, head rotation, and more.


• Head movement - The cameras in the AirPods have distortion correction to account for head movement, and can reject images that have excessive movement.


• On-device processing - Some content is processed directly on the AirPods, such as person detection.


• Indicator lights - Code suggests the AirPods have a hardware indicator light to let people know when still images are being captured.

Naming

There were rumors suggesting the new AirPods could be called the "AirPods Ultra" instead of the AirPods Pro, but the ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.7 file we found that references the new AirPods is labeled "AirPods Pro" and not AirPods Ultra. It's possible that's a placeholder name, so AirPods Ultra isn't entirely out of the question. Apple may have also planned to use AirPods Pro for a version of the camera-equipped AirPods that won't ultimately make it to release.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said in March that Apple was considering several devices with the Ultra name, including the foldable iPhone Ultra, AirPods Ultra, and an OLED MacBook Ultra, but that may or may not be a term we see for the new AirPods.

Pricing

Pricing is unconfirmed, but the current ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ sell for $249. Camera hardware could make the new version more expensive.

Compatibility

Since the AirPods will feed data to ‌Siri‌, an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence will be required to use the features. ‌Apple Intelligence‌ is available on the iPhone 15 Pro and later.

Release Date

Despite showing up in ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.7, the camera-equipped AirPods aren't going to come out until 2027. They'll likely launch alongside the 20th-anniversary iPhone in September.
This article, "Apple's Camera-Equipped AirPods: All the New Rumors" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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In addition to cutting dozens of Vision Pro employees who worked on features like immersive video and gaming, Apple is laying off people who worked on Siri and AI, reports Bloomberg.


Apple is "largely shutting down" the Vision Pro team focused on gaming, and it is paring down the team that makes immersive video content. Approximately 100 employees who were part of the Vision Products Group have been laid off, with Apple also cutting 100 people from its ‌Siri‌ and software groups.

Vision Pro employees were told Apple is realigning its priorities based on how customers are using the device, suggesting immersive video has not worked out. Bloomberg says the immersive videos Apple produces can cost millions of dollars to film, and it has not been cost-effective because so few people actively use the device. Apple plans to make a smaller number of videos in-house and rely on third-party 3D content.

On the ‌Siri‌ team, Apple is creating new positions for the shift to ‌Siri‌ AI and prioritizing work on AI features.

The company told Bloomberg that it is overhauling some of its teams to "evolve" its business and deliver a better experience for customers. Affected employees will be able to apply for other positions at Apple.

While we will create new roles as part of this change, it will also impact a limited number of existing roles. We are grateful to these team members for their contributions, and we are committed to supporting them throughout their transition, including opportunities to apply for other roles at Apple.

Despite the cuts to the Vision Products Group, employees were told that the Vision Pro and visionOS operating system are not being eliminated. Apple continues to work on AI smart glasses expected in 2027, but that device will not support 3D gaming or video.
This article, "Apple Guts Vision Pro Gaming and Immersive Video Teams, Trims Siri Staff" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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We're likely about a month away from when Apple will launch new iPhone models, and color has been a major topic of discussion. There's going to be a dramatic new color for the iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, but Apple plans to play it safe with the foldable iPhone.

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max

With the iPhone 17 Pro line, Apple introduced a bold new Cosmic Orange color. This year, Cosmic Orange is being retired for a shade that's darker and moodier.

Dark Cherry is the color Apple is rumored to be using, and it looks like a cross between red and purple.


Apple's colors always look different when lighting conditions change, which can lead to some confusion. At first, rumors described the color as a deep red.

We also heard rumors about the possibility of burgundy, purple, and brown color options, with Apple set to choose one.



In April, Macworld shared the exact Pantone colors Apple allegedly plans to use, describing the color as Dark Cherry for the first time. The site said the other three colors would include Silver, Dark Gray, and Light Blue. We used the Pantone shades to make a mockup.

• Light Blue (Pantone 2121), resembling the current iPhone 17's Mist Blue


• Dark Cherry (Pantone 6076), the headline new color


• Dark Gray (Pantone 426C)


• Silver (Pantone 427C), similar to the current generation

Dummy models soon surfaced showing similar colors, though with a bit more of a pink tone for the Dark Cherry shade.



The color Apple goes with will likely be close to the Pantone shade, with purple or red tones depending on the lighting. It's not quite burgundy because it trends closer to purple. It's redder than a true purple, but more violet than a dark red or maroon. It's more of a wine or a plum color, so if Dark Cherry is indeed the name of the color, it's a fitting one.


We've had iPhones in Lavender, Pink, Deep Purple, (Product)RED, and Purple, but nothing like what Apple is planning for 2026.

There were only three color options for the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max, but it looks like there will be four for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models. Along with Silver and Dark Gray, there's a blue color.


Blue is a shade Apple has used for iPhone models multiple times in the past. The rumored blue is probably closest to the Sierra Blue color Apple used for the iPhone 13 Pro, but it's more saturated with less red and green to tone it down. Most of the blues Apple used in the past have been lighter or much darker, but this shade still won't feel as unique as the Dark Cherry color.

Uniform Back

The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models have a two-tone design where the glass on the back is a noticeably lighter shade than the color of the aluminum frame. With the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models, the color difference between the frame and the glass panel at the back could be less pronounced.

Rumors suggest Apple will minimize the color difference between the two components for a more unified appearance.

iPhone Ultra

While the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max will have two colors that offer options beyond the standard silver or gray, Apple doesn't plan to experiment with the foldable iPhone (which might be called the iPhone Ultra).

The expensive new device is apparently only going to be available with a limited color palette. White has been mentioned multiple times, which probably means a white/silver type of shade, while rumors have been a little mixed on the second color (if there is one).

Macworld said in April that Apple would use silver and indigo, with the latter shade being similar to the Deep Blue color used for the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌. In May, Weibo leaker Instant Digital said white was the only confirmed color, and in June, dummy models leaked alongside a rumor that the foldable iPhone might only be available in white.



Camera accessories that leaked in August suggest the foldable iPhone will come in silver/white and a dark blue shade that's almost black. Since the foldable iPhone is going to cost upwards of $2,000, it's not surprising Apple didn't want to make it in colors that might have narrower appeal.

Color Caveats

We're working with rumors and dummy models at this point. The colors that leak ahead of when a new iPhone launches are typically accurate, but lighting and material affect how color appears. Apple's devices often look far better than the dummy models and renderings.

With the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌, mockups and dummy models featuring the Cosmic Orange color were a duller shade than we actually got, plus nothing quite captured the two-tone look of the glass back and the frame. Ahead of the iPhone 16 Pro launch, there were rumors of a desert titanium shade. The mockups and dummy models were a darker, uglier brown than the soft, almost pink-toned gold shade Apple used.

It's unusual for the color rumors to be wrong, but it happens. Last year, rumors suggested there would be a black ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌, but it was a color Apple apparently dropped.

What About the iPhone 18?

The iPhone 18 isn't going to launch in the fall alongside the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models and the foldable iPhone. Apple's holding it until spring 2027, and since it's still months away, we haven't heard what its color options might be. With standard iPhones, Apple often debuts a range of colors.

There are five ‌iPhone 17‌ colors, including black, white, and three pastel shades in blue, lavender, and green. Apple tends to go back and forth between pastels and more saturated shades for the standard iPhone, so the 2027 ‌iPhone 18‌ could have brighter colors than the ones Apple used for the ‌iPhone 17‌ line.

The ‌iPhone 18‌ is rumored to be launching alongside the iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2, and we also don't know what colors Apple will use for those devices.

Launch Timing

Apple is expected to introduce the foldable iPhone and the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models at an iPhone event held the week of September 9. Pre-orders could start at the end of that same week, with a launch on September 18.
This article, "Dark Cherry and More: Every iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra Color Rumor" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple sent emails to its music industry partners about the upcoming launch of a Made With AI label that Apple will apply to AI-generated content (via The Hollywood Reporter).


Content tagged as being "materially generated using AI" will have a label visible to all Apple Music users.

In March, Apple announced Transparency Tags, a system that lets music creators disclose when AI has been used. Transparency Tags are available for artwork, track, composition (lyrics), and music video. Apple said at the time that the tags were optional, and it would defer to content providers to determine what qualifies as AI-generated.

In today's email, Apple says AI Transparency Tags are required in "any instance where AI was used to create a material portion of the content, including tracks that are AI platform generated." Apple said AI-platform-generated content is defined as "anything that is primarily derived from a generative AI service."

Back in April, ‌Apple Music‌ VP Oliver Schusser told Billboard that more than a third of monthly uploads to ‌Apple Music‌ are 100% AI-generated, but AI music accounted for less than 0.5% of actual listening. Schusser said Apple has an in-house system for detecting AI, but is still relying on content makers to disclose AI use.

Apple's email did not give a specific timeline for the launch of the AI labels in ‌Apple Music‌, but said they will show up "later this year."
This article, "Apple Music to Label AI-Generated Songs" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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OpenAI today said there's a new Apple Messages plugin for ChatGPT, allowing ChatGPT on Mac to search messages, draft messages, analyze conversations, and send replies to people.


The Apple Messages plugin can be installed from the ChatGPT Plugins interface, and it is listed under Public. OpenAI suggests users try these prompts:

• Check my calendar and reply to [name] with a few times I'm free for dinner next week


• Suggest follow ups from yesterday in messages


• Find birthdays in @messages and add them to my calendar


• Find potential spam messages I can delete

ChatGPT can access iMessages, SMS messages, and RCS messages. Sending a message requires user approval by default, and OpenAI warns against granting persistent approval. For the Messages integration to work, ChatGPT needs Full Disk Access in System Settings, as well as access to contact names and automation tools.

Apple's involvement in the plugin's development is unknown, but it uses AppleScript and Accessibility settings to function on a Mac. Apple and OpenAI are currently facing off in court after Apple sued OpenAI over theft of trade secrets.

Messages integration is available in ChatGPT Work and Codex in the desktop version of ChatGPT, but it does not work in regular ChatGPT chats. It is available for all ChatGPT users who have an Apple silicon Mac.
This article, "ChatGPT Can Now Read and Send iMessages on Mac" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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