While Apple keeps a famously tight lid on its upcoming products, we've seen some pretty significant leaks in recent years. Nothing will likely ever beat the unreleased iPhone 4 getting left in a bar in 2010. But over the last year we've seen an unprecedented iPhone 18 leak, and now what looks to be an AirPods Pro leak direct from Apple itself.
Hidden in the source files for the latest MacOS Tahoe beta, users have found what appears to be an official Apple video showing AirPods Pro with Visual Intelligence. Which means, yes, these must be the long-rumoured AirPods with cameras.
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/yo7RI4MCeuAugust 18, 2026
The short video depicts a man holding a book up to his face, while a voiceover explains, "With Visual Intelligence, your world becomes saveable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later." Since the man isn't wearing any kind of smart glasses, or indeed holding a phone, the reasonable assumption here is that the AirPods he's wearing contain cameras.
Design-wise, they look pretty similar to the current AirPods Pro, although the stem is perhaps a tad longer. If the stems do contain cameras though, they might end up looking a little different from the front.
But it's that design similarity that arguably makes these somewhat alarming. Judging by the video, these look extremely inconspicuous – like any other AirPods. And while we don't know the specifics of the cameras and what they'll be able to capture, wearables with cameras are a contentious topic right now. Just look at the controversy around Meta glasses.
As you might expect, the response among fans is concentrating primarily on privacy concerns rather than the tech itself. "I hate this. Gyms obviously ban phones in locker rooms but now I’ll have to take off my AirPods to make sure people feel comfortable," one Redditor comments. Another adds, "Oh wow. I really surprised they moved ahead with these after the backlash Meta is getting. This is a privacy nightmare."
Time will tell whether Apple has managed to get its privacy features and messaging right. But right now, the discomfort is real.
