Apple’s rumored camera-equipped AirPods have received a fresh vote of confidence from code discovered in iOS 27 beta 2. Developer Sam Henri Gold spotted references to an unreleased product codenamed B790, arriving on the same day that a separate leaker claimed the project had been suspended—creating two conflicting signals about the product’s future.
What the Leaked Code Actually Shows
The code Gold found is a system prompt template designed to process ‘two images from cameras on either side of the user’s head,’ handling the left image first and the right one second. That description outlines stereo image processing, where two slightly offset views of the same scene provide Apple’s AI with extra spatial context. The template also includes worked examples, asking about the Eiffel Tower or a coffee mug, along with fallback instructions telling the system to request a new image if the original comes out blurry or poorly lit.
Why This Points to AirPods, Not Smart Glasses
Gold initially floated smart glasses as the likely target, but the codename tells a different story. Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 carry the internal codename B788, while the company’s rumored smart glasses are tied to the N50 codename instead. B790 fits far more naturally into Apple’s existing audio-hardware numbering than into its glasses lineup, which is why multiple outlets now treat camera-equipped AirPods as the more likely explanation. The camera placement described in the code—positioned on either side of the head—also aligns better with earbuds than with a front-facing glasses design.
A Timeline Clouded by Conflicting Reports
The bigger question isn’t whether the hardware exists, but when it might actually ship. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has previously reported that both the camera-equipped AirPods and Apple’s smart glasses are now targeting a late 2027 release, a shift from earlier hopes of a 2026 launch. Adding to the confusion, leaker Kosutami posted that the AirPods camera project had been ‘suspended’ the same week the code surfaced—a claim that sits awkwardly next to active development work showing up in a shipping beta. Whether that means a full cancellation, a temporary pause, or simply a slower internal timeline remains unclear.
What These AirPods Would Actually Do
If the product does arrive, its core pitch centers on Visual Intelligence, the feature that already lets iPhone users point their camera at an object and ask Siri what it is. Camera-equipped AirPods would extend that same capability to earbuds, letting users ask contextual questions about their surroundings without pulling out their phone. Early pricing chatter places the product above the existing AirPods Pro 3, possibly in the $299–$349 range under a new ‘AirPods Ultra’ branding, though none of these details have been confirmed by Apple.
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