AirPods Ultra · AI

Part of Infrared cameras are expected in both earbud stems

The cameras will let Siri understand what is around you

Visual Intelligence could become the feature that makes AirPods Ultra feel different from today’s earbuds. Instead of simply listening for voice commands, Siri would also understand what is happening around you, making it possible to ask questions about objects, signs, products, or places without taking your phone out of your pocket.

1 min readUpdated Sep 22, 2026

AirPods Ultra Guide
AirPods Ultra
AirPods

AirPods Ultra

ReportedExpected Late 2027

Reported
64% track record
11 outlets

What to know

What to know

Apple's camera-equipped AirPods will use the cameras to help Siri understand what is around you, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The feature is a version of Visual Intelligence, which lets you ask Siri questions about your surroundings.

MacRumors reported in June 2026 that the cameras send information about where you are and what is nearby to Siri. They are not meant for taking regular photos.

Apple's own software later showed AirPods used with Visual Intelligence, including a demo where Siri is asked to remember a book.

How we know this

How we know this

What changed, newest first.

Aug 27, 2026MashableThe cameras will not capture images or video, only describe what the wearer sees
Aug 23, 2026AppleInsiderThe paired camera images top out at one megapixel, against 12MP on Ray-Ban Meta
Aug 22, 2026Digital TrendsThe captured stills would feed Visual Intelligence and other AI features
Aug 21, 2026EngadgetThe cameras are aimed at the world around the wearer, feeding Visual Intelligence
Aug 21, 20269to5MacIn the demo a wearer holds up a book and asks Siri to remember it
Show 26 more reportsShow fewer
Aug 21, 2026MacRumorsThe still frames are internal, processed by Visual Intelligence rather than saved as photos
Aug 20, 2026ForbesThe cameras scan the surroundings to give Siri and other AI tools context, per Gurman
Aug 19, 2026Digital TrendsThe sensors are deliberately low-resolution, built to scan surroundings rather than shoot
Aug 19, 20269to5MacThe scans feed Siri and other AI tools, not photography
Aug 19, 2026MacRumorsThe 2027 cameras are low resolution and cannot take photos or video, only feed Siri
Aug 18, 2026MacRumorsNot for photos or video: the camera feeds Visual Intelligence instead
Aug 18, 2026LifehackerThe lenses are for Siri to lean on when the iPhone is out of reach
Aug 18, 20269to5MacIn the demo Aaron Perris pulled from the beta, Siri reads a book and files it for later
Aug 18, 2026Tom's GuideThe cameras feed Visual Intelligence so the iPhone can stay in a pocket
Aug 18, 2026ForbesThe Mac beta demonstrates a Visual Intelligence flow AirPods cannot do today
Aug 18, 2026The Mac ObserverSlightly thicker stems, and a software warning to keep hair clear of the lenses
Aug 18, 2026MashableThe cameras collect the visual data and hand it to Visual Intelligence
Aug 18, 2026EngadgetA low-resolution camera feed is what Siri gets for Visual Intelligence
Aug 18, 2026Digital TrendsHair covering the AirPods triggers an alert to clear it so the camera can see
Aug 18, 2026AppleInsiderThe sensor is presumed to sit in the stem tip, where the microphone normally goes
Aug 18, 2026MacRumorsSiri answers questions about the wearer's surroundings and logs what it is told+1 outlet
Aug 14, 2026AppleInsiderA rumor roundup puts it at cameras plus Siri, assisting the wearer
Aug 7, 20269to5MacVisual intelligence lets the wearer ask Siri about the world in front of them
Aug 3, 2026MashableThe cameras analyze what they look at and keep nothing
Aug 3, 2026MacRumorsSays B790 could arrive next month ahead of B798
Aug 3, 2026The Mac ObserverSeparates B790 from a more advanced model planned for 2027
Jul 3, 2026MacRumorsThe name AirPods Ultra turns up in iOS 27 code+2 outlets
Jul 3, 2026MacRumorsSays launch could wait if Siri’s Visual Intelligence quality falls short
Jun 16, 2026Digital TrendsExtends Siri questions to nearby objects, locations, and items+1 outlet
Apr 30, 2026MacRumorsPerson with direct knowledgeLinks the cameras to Visual Intelligence on iPhone 15 Pro and newer+4 outlets
Feb 17, 2026Mark Gurman, Bloomberg via Digital TrendsSays low-resolution camera data would help Siri answer questions about what the wearer sees
Reported

Frequently asked

Frequently asked

What can Siri do with the cameras?
Identify nearby objects and answer questions about your surroundings hands-free, using Apple's Visual Intelligence with the infrared cameras rather than traditional photos.

Latest AirPods Ultra news

Latest AirPods Ultra news

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More AirPods Ultra reported details

More AirPods Ultra reported details

The earbuds are built around the next version of SiriRead the report The launch has slipped from 2026 to late 2027Read the report The cameras take paired still photos, not videoRead the report You would be able to ask the earbuds to save something you are looking at for laterRead the report The camera feature would recognize landmarks, text and known objectsRead the report Infrared cameras are expected in both earbud stemsRead the report