'AirPods Ultra' to Launch as Soon as Next Month

Apple has been planning to release AirPods with cameras as early as this year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. If so, they could be unveiled as soon as September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models and the long-rumored foldable iPhone.

The earbuds are expected to have a design similar to the AirPods Pro 3, but with tiny cameras.

Given the AirPods with cameras will likely be more expensive than the AirPods Pro 3, which are priced at $249 in the U.S., Gurman previously said Apple is likely considering "AirPods Ultra" branding for them. Two other "Ultra" products have been rumored, including a "MacBook Ultra" with an OLED display and a foldable "iPhone Ultra."

Tiny infrared cameras will be embedded in both the left and right "AirPods Ultra" earbuds, and they will essentially serve as eyes for Siri. The cameras will help to enhance the Visual Intelligence feature on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer, and a small LED light on the earbuds will indicate when the cameras are active.

"The idea is to let users ask questions about an item they might be looking at," he said, in a previous report. If someone is looking at ingredients on their kitchen countertop, for example, they could ask Siri for dinner ideas.

Last month, Apple's code for the second iOS 27 developer beta seemingly hinted at AirPods with cameras. The code mentioned a product codenamed B790 that can relay "two images from cameras on either side of [a] user's head," and Gurman has since confirmed that B790 indeed refers to a version of AirPods with cameras.

Here's what he said:

For years, Apple has been working on the camera AirPods under the code name B798. This device was initially scheduled for release in 2026 before being postponed until 2027, I've reported. But Apple has also been developing another version under the code name B790 (Apple famously creates competing versions of the same product internally). This B790 device also appears to be further along: References to the product have already shown up inside iOS 27 code, and it's been on Apple's internal road map for a debut as early as this year.

It is unclear if the ones codenamed "B798" will still launch next year.

Visual Intelligence is already available on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer. On iOS 27, the feature is accessible through the Camera app via a new "Siri" mode. The cameras on the "AirPods Ultra" would provide a more hands-free experience.

The previously-mentioned iOS 27 beta code suggested that Visual Intelligence on the "AirPods Ultra" would work with landmarks, text, and known objects, with the Eiffel Tower in Paris and a coffee mug cited as two examples.

If the "AirPods Ultra" do arrive this September, then they are only a month away.