It is now almost certain. Apple has just accidentally confirmed the imminent arrival of the AirPods Ultra, new revolutionary wireless earbuds equipped with infrared cameras and artificial intelligence to analyze the user's environment.
Rumors have been swirling for many months about the arrival of new high-end earbuds from Cupertino. These next-generation AirPods would move beyond audio-only use to incorporate visual sensors, transforming them into true observation and spatial analysis devices.
AirPods Ultra: a leak in the macOS Tahoe beta
And while some recently thought that these “Ultra” AirPods would be delayed, Apple confirms that the earbuds are already ready. In fact, a promotional video was found in the latest beta of the macOS Tahoe 26.7 operating system, clearly showing this product in use. It shows a man approaching a book to let his AirPods analyze it. All of this is accompanied by a voiceover: “With Visual Intelligence, your world becomes recordable. You see something you like? Just ask me to save it for later”.
Apple Intelligence and gesture control on the menu
As a reminder, this infrared camera associated with Apple Intelligence would make it possible to analyze the environment in order to gather information that is then communicated to your iPhone, or directly provided in audio via the earbuds. A system that would be associated with Visual Intelligence, the Apple Intelligence feature that makes it possible to learn more about a captured or filmed image. The camera would also offer gesture control by understanding the movement of hands and fingers made in the air.
Launch expected in September with iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max and Ultra
The AirPods Ultra will likely be unveiled in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and the new foldable iPhone Ultra.
