Camera-Equipped AirPods: What the Leaked Code Reveals

Analysis of a recently uncovered software framework shows that the left and right AirPods earbuds each contain an individual RGB camera sensor. The sensors can capture synchronized still images with matching frame IDs, providing Apple’s Visual Intelligence system with two-angle views of a scene. The code does not reference infrared sensors, though their presence cannot be ruled out.

MacRumors

The framework supports two capture modes. In “active” mode—likely triggered by a user command such as Siri—the earbuds capture a 640 × 640 pixel image and output a processed 1024 × 1024 pixel frame, roughly 0.4 MP of raw data and just over 1 MP after processing, as explained by the analysis site mactracker. In “passive” mode, intended for background environmental awareness, the sensors capture 320 × 320 pixel frames that may be returned at either the same resolution or up-scaled to 512 × 512 pixels. The system includes lens-distortion correction, dual-camera calibration, and calibration to motion sensors, allowing it to reject images blurred by excessive head movement or occlusion.

MacRumors

The demo video that first showcased the camera-equipped AirPods featured a model identified by the internal codename B790, which corresponds to a version of the AirPods Pro 3. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has reported that Apple has cancelled the B790 model and is instead developing a next-generation version codenamed B798. Gurman says the new AirPods are slated for a 2027 launch, potentially coinciding with Apple’s 20th-anniversary iPhone.

MacRumors

Gurman’s statements indicate that Apple does not intend to ship the B790 prototype and that the discovered framework likely pertains to the cancelled device rather than a finalized product. The code also contains routines to control a capture-indicator light on each earbud, suggesting Apple plans to provide a visible cue when the cameras are active.

MacRumors

If Apple proceeds with the B798 design, the dual-camera system could enable advanced spatial awareness features such as real-time scene reconstruction, improved voice-direction detection, and new augmented-reality interactions. The inclusion of on-device “peripheral inference”—the ability to detect whether a person is in view—points to privacy-focused processing that keeps raw image data on the earbuds. While the exact capabilities of the eventual product remain unconfirmed, the leaked code offers a detailed glimpse of how Apple may integrate visual intelligence into its flagship wireless earbuds.

MacRumors