The AirPods 5 codenames leaked out of macOS 26.7

B868M and B868E sit one increment above the shipping AirPods 4, splitting the next generation into a plain pair and one with active noise cancellation. No date came with them.

By iDeviceAug 18, 6:47 AM CTUpdated Aug 19, 6:42 PM CT3 min read

Ask about the AirPods 5

Does it have noise cancelling? Yes, it cancels noise.
What does it cost? It costs $129 to $149. That is the list price, before any subscription.
Does it work with my phone? It works fully with an iPhone and partly with Android. It pairs with Android, but the app and the iPhone-only features are not there.
Can it get wet (shower, pool, swimming)? Yes, it survives a shower and a soaking. Its rating is IP57. It holds up for thirty minutes at one metre. Swimming laps and diving need a different rating, and it does not carry one.
How long does the battery last? It runs 20 hours with the case and noise cancelling on. That is 4 hours of listening with noise cancelling on, and 5 hours, measured on listening anc on wireless case.
How heavy is it? It weighs 4.3g.
How does it connect? It connects over Bluetooth.
What chip is inside? It runs on H2.
Does it do spatial audio? Yes, it does spatial audio. It tracks your head, so the sound stays put when you turn.

BUY?UPGRADE?

B868M and B868E turned up in the macOS Tahoe 26.7 update, per MacRumors, and they line up with AirPods 5 and AirPods 5 with Active Noise Cancellation. The AirPods 4 on sale since September 2024 are B768M and B768E. One increment on the number, the same M and E at the end. Two models again, one plain pair and one that cancels noise.

Launch timing is unclear and the features are unknown, so an H3 chip with better sound and lower latency stays a rumor the code does not confirm. The same update also names a Beats Solo Buds nobody has seen. AirPods 5 are the second AirPods line to fall out of macOS 26.7 this week, after the demo video for the camera AirPods. The build gave up the names and nothing else.

Update, Aug 19, 6:42 PM CT: Bloomberg's Mark Gurman now says Apple has no plans to release the B790 camera AirPods, the pair shown in the leaked macOS demo video, per MacRumors.

Update, Aug 19, 6:05 PM CT: The camera-equipped AirPods are still a 2027 product, and the macOS 26.7 leak has not pulled that date forward, per Bloomberg Technology.

Update, Aug 19, 10:03 AM CT: MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris found more than 10 unreleased products in the same macOS 26.7 code, among them a foldable iPhone and an OLED iPad mini.

Update, Aug 18, 3:49 PM CT: The macOS Tahoe 26.7 beta also carries what look like a fourth-generation AirPods Pro and two separate camera AirPods codenames, per Mashable.

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