Apple AirPods 5 Leak: New Models and Camera AirPods Pro
Apple’s next-generation AirPods lineup may have appeared unexpectedly in the macOS 26.7 release candidate.
Two unreleased earbud identifiers, B868M and B868E, have reportedly been discovered in macOS 26.7 RC code. Their naming pattern closely resembles the internal identifiers used for the current AirPods 4 generation, suggesting that the two models could represent standard and active noise cancellation (ANC) variants of the upcoming AirPods 5.
The same software build reportedly contains references to another pair of unreleased devices, B790 and B798. These are believed to be associated with a future AirPods Pro 4 or potentially an AirPods Pro Ultra product featuring integrated cameras.
If accurate, the references point to a broader expansion of Apple’s wireless-audio hardware beyond incremental audio improvements, potentially introducing environmental sensing and computer-vision capabilities directly into earbuds.
🔎 AirPods 5 Identifiers Appear in macOS 26.7 #
The strongest evidence for a new standard AirPods generation comes from the appearance of the B868M and B868E identifiers.
Their numbering closely follows the internal codenames associated with AirPods 4:
| Generation | Standard Variant | ANC Variant |
|---|---|---|
| AirPods 4 | B768M | B768E |
| Potential AirPods 5 | B868M | B868E |
The similarity does not independently confirm Apple’s final product names or specifications, but the identifier pattern is consistent with the possibility that Apple is preparing two AirPods 5 configurations.
The timing is notable because Apple launched AirPods 4 in September 2024, meaning the appearance of their apparent successors would represent a shorter refresh interval than the longer hardware cycles traditionally associated with some AirPods generations.
Standard and ANC configurations #
The two identifiers could correspond to the same basic product architecture with different feature sets.
The expected lineup would include:
- A standard AirPods 5 model
- An AirPods 5 model with active noise cancellation
- A similar open or semi-in-ear form factor
- Updated internal audio processing hardware
The open-ear design would also distinguish AirPods 5 from the deeper in-ear fit used by Apple’s Pro models.
🎧 Potential H3 Chip Upgrade #
One of the most significant possible changes is a transition from Apple’s H2 audio chip to a next-generation H3 platform.
The current AirPods 4 generation uses the H2 chip, which provides the computational foundation for features such as active noise cancellation, adaptive audio processing, and other computational-audio functions.
A hypothetical H3 upgrade could increase processing capacity for:
- Active noise cancellation
- Environmental sound analysis
- Voice processing
- Spatial audio
- Computational audio
- Real-time acoustic adaptation
However, the presence of unreleased device identifiers does not by itself establish that an H3 chip will be included. The chip configuration and final product specifications would need to be confirmed by Apple.
📷 Camera-Equipped AirPods Pro References #
The more unusual discovery concerns the B790 and B798 identifiers.
These references have reportedly been associated with a future AirPods Pro 4 or potentially an AirPods Pro Ultra product featuring integrated cameras.
If such a product reaches the market, it would represent a significant expansion of AirPods beyond their traditional role as audio peripherals.
Dual 1MP camera sensors #
The reported design includes two small RGB camera sensors, with one positioned on each earbud.
| Feature | Reported Specification |
|---|---|
| Camera Configuration | One camera per earbud |
| Sensor Resolution | 1MP per sensor |
| Image Type | RGB still images |
| Video Capture | Reportedly unavailable |
| Passive Mode | Environmental-change-triggered capture |
| Active Mode | User-triggered capture through voice commands |
| Privacy Indicator | LED illumination during image capture |
The reported hardware is described as being designed primarily for environmental sensing rather than conventional photography.
Passive environmental sensing #
In passive mode, the cameras could monitor changes in the surrounding environment and automatically capture still images when predefined conditions are detected.
This could potentially provide contextual information to other Apple devices or software services.
The concept would move AirPods toward an ambient-computing platform in which the earbuds continuously gather information about the user’s environment.
Voice-controlled capture #
An active mode would reportedly allow users to initiate image capture through voice commands, potentially using Siri.
This could provide a hands-free imaging mechanism without requiring a smartphone or physical camera control.
The precise interaction model remains unclear, and the reported functionality should be treated as an unconfirmed development feature rather than a final product specification.
🔐 Privacy Becomes a Core Hardware Requirement #
Camera-equipped earbuds would introduce privacy concerns that do not exist with conventional wireless headphones.
The reported inclusion of an LED indicator on the earbud stem is therefore particularly significant.
The indicator would illuminate while the camera is capturing an image, providing a visible signal to people nearby.
A dedicated hardware-level recording indicator could become an important requirement for making wearable cameras socially and legally viable.
Beyond the indicator itself, a commercial implementation would likely require additional controls covering camera activation, data handling, user consent, and interaction with Apple’s privacy architecture.
🧩 Why macOS Code Reveals Hardware Plans #
Apple frequently uses operating-system software to support unreleased hardware before products become publicly available.
Device identifiers embedded in release-candidate builds can therefore provide clues about products under active development.
The appearance of B868M and B868E is notable because the identifiers follow an established naming pattern associated with previous AirPods hardware.
Likewise, the B790 and B798 references suggest that Apple may be developing hardware beyond the conventional AirPods product cycle.
However, internal identifiers do not guarantee that every referenced product will reach commercial release. Hardware projects can be delayed, modified, renamed, or cancelled during development.
🚀 Possible AirPods Launch Timeline #
The discovery of these identifiers indicates that development is sufficiently advanced for the devices to be represented in Apple’s system software.
Current expectations point toward a possible launch during the macOS 27 software cycle, although Apple has not announced release dates for these products.
The potential lineup could therefore include two distinct development tracks:
| Product | Reported Direction |
|---|---|
| AirPods 5 | Standard and ANC models, potentially using an H3 chip |
| AirPods Pro 4 / Ultra | Premium earbuds with integrated cameras |
| B868M / B868E | Potential AirPods 5 identifiers |
| B790 / B798 | Potential camera-equipped Pro identifiers |
If these products materialize, Apple would be expanding AirPods from computational audio devices into a broader wearable-computing platform.
The AirPods 5 would represent a conventional generational upgrade, while camera-equipped AirPods Pro could introduce an entirely new capability category centered on environmental awareness, hands-free interaction, and contextual computing.