Apple accidentally released a video showing its camera-enabled AirPods in macOS Tahoe.

      Apple seems to have inadvertently revealed its own AirPods equipped with a camera. A demonstration video was found within the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate, as reported by MacRumors on Monday. Juli Clover noted that the earbuds appear almost ready for launch.

      The 13-second clip features a man holding a book so that the AirPods' camera can read its title. The voiceover states, “With Visual Intelligence, your world becomes savable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later.”

      John Gruber succinctly summarized the scenario on Daring Fireball with a single word: “Oops.”

      What the earbuds are purported to do

      According to MacRumors, the camera provides information to Visual Intelligence, allowing Siri to respond to questions regarding the user's surroundings and log what it sees. The release candidate also includes a direct mention of setting up Visual Intelligence on the AirPods.

      One line in the software addresses a potential issue. If hair obscures the earbuds, the user will receive an alert stating, “To get the most accurate information about things in your environment, make sure AirPods are not covered.”

      The product is codenamed B790, as previously noted by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who speculated a September release alongside the iPhone event featuring the iPhone 18 Pro and the foldable iPhone Ultra. Ivan Mehta from TechCrunch referenced Gurman’s report from May, indicating that the earbuds would look similar to the AirPods Pro 3, featuring a longer stem and an LED to signal when data is being sent to the cloud.

      Siegler: the striking aspect is what is absent

      M.G. Siegler observed in his Spyglass column that the most noticeable point about the clip is the lack of a phone. He noted that the man is capturing the book using the earbuds he is wearing, making these AirPods Apple's first genuine AI wearable.

      Siegler posited that choosing earbuds over glasses for the initial launch is intentional. He compared sales figures, noting that Ray-Ban Meta glasses may have sold around 10 million units, while Apple has sold over 400 million AirPods, potentially nearing 500 million.

      His argument hinges on aesthetics. He wrote that Google Glass faltered partly because of its unique appearance, while Meta's glasses succeeded by resembling Ray-Bans, and Apple can achieve a similar effect by designing camera AirPods that resemble existing AirPods. “It's better to begin with a familiar design and incorporate new technology,” he remarked.

      This sequence is significant for what follows. In July, we reported that Apple aims to release smart glasses by WWDC 2027 and is still deliberating on camera integration. This evidence suggests that cameras will first debut on the earbuds.

      TechRadar: the verdict is already in

      In contrast, Tom Bedford expressed a different viewpoint in a TechRadar article, stating that the backlash against always-watching devices has already taken hold, with public sentiment turning against them.

      He highlighted that UK smart glasses are currently unwelcome in settings such as courts, restaurants, theaters, and Wetherspoons pubs. He pointed out that people are more frequently using the term “pervert glasses” than the actual product name. He predicted that Apple would create “pervert earbuds.”

      Bedford described the launch as potentially a lose-lose scenario, arguing that the product could either fail or succeed, leading to the normalization of the category. He quoted one consumer asking, "Who is asking for this?"

      Zack Whittaker, a security journalist, echoed this sentiment on Mastodon, stating, “Not satisfied with Meta making camera-equipped pervert glasses, now Apple is entering the fray with camera-equipped headphones. PervertPods.”

      This terminology has history; in July, we reported on Instagram banning accounts promoting pervert glasses, and in August, Meta’s Ray-Bans were prohibited from UK pubs.

      The trend continued with Meta removing facial recognition code from its glasses app in June, just a day after WIRED discovered it. Recently, we reported on Instagram's blocking of harassment-related search terms, while its algorithm still promotes the videos.

      The video may not represent the actual product

      Bedford raised a caution that others did not address. He noted that the clip does not appear to be typical Apple marketing material, lacking the expected production quality and seeming to be filmed on an iPhone with uneven exposure.

      He suggested it might be a placeholder or internal video, with the earbuds shown likely being standard ones representing the final product. In this interpretation, the clip demonstrates what Apple envisions the product will do, rather than showcasing the actual product.

      Engadget also remarked on the absence of visible cameras in the video. The earbuds look similar to current AirPods Pro, except with a thicker stem, which would be where a camera could be housed.

      What remains unknown

      It is still unclear whether the earbuds will be capable of taking pictures. Siegler highlighted previous reports suggesting they would only analyze the environment in