Apple could unveil AirPods with built-in cameras as soon as this September, potentially under the “AirPods Ultra” name, reporter Mark Gurman has said. The earbuds may arrive alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models and a long-rumored foldable iPhone.
The new earbuds are expected to resemble the AirPods Pro 3 but include tiny infrared cameras embedded in both the left and right units. Those cameras would effectively act as “eyes” for Siri, helping to extend the Visual Intelligence features found on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer. A small LED on the earbuds would indicate when the cameras are active.
Apple is likely positioning the camera-equipped AirPods above the AirPods Pro 3 in price — the latter retails for $249 in the U.S. — and Gurman has reported the company is considering “AirPods Ultra” branding. Two other “Ultra” products have also been rumored: a “MacBook Ultra” with an OLED display and a foldable “iPhone Ultra.”
How AirPods Ultra cameras would work
Code in the second iOS 27 developer beta referenced a product codenamed B790 that can relay “two images from cameras on either side of [a] user’s head,” and Gurman has confirmed B790 refers to a version of AirPods with cameras. He also reported that Apple has long worked on camera AirPods under the code name B798; that version was initially scheduled for release in 2026 before being postponed to 2027. It is unclear whether B798 will still launch next year.
On iOS 27, Visual Intelligence is accessible in the Camera app via a new “Siri” mode, and the AirPods cameras would aim to provide a more hands-free experience. Gurman relayed that the feature would let users ask questions about items they are looking at: “The idea is to let users ask questions about an item they might be looking at,” he said. iOS 27 beta code suggested Visual Intelligence on the AirPods would work with landmarks, text and known objects, citing the Eiffel Tower and a coffee mug as examples.
If the AirPods Ultra do arrive this September, they would be only a month away.
