Apple iOS 27 Code Signals AirPods Ultra With Built-In Cameras On The Way

Apple just leaked its own homework. Code inside the iOS 27 developer beta contains references to an unannounced product labeled "B790" — one number above the AirPods Pro 3's internal designation of B788 — with language describing "two images from cameras on either side of user's head." Forbes confirmed the find via developer Sam Henri Gold's post on X. This isn't an accessory refresh. It's a new product category wearing earbud packaging, and if you're shopping for premium audio right now, you need to know what's coming before you overspend on current-gen tech.

What The Code Actually Says

The references are specific. Visual Intelligence — Apple's on-device AI recognition system — is being programmed to work on this mystery device. Per MacRumors' Joe Rossignol, the code instructs the feature to identify landmarks, text, and "known objects," citing the Eiffel Tower and a coffee mug as test examples. The cameras aren't for photos or video. They're sensors for computer vision: think asking Siri what plant you're looking at or reading a sign in real time.

The product isn't named "AirPods Ultra" anywhere in the code. That label is industry shorthand for camera-equipped earbuds that have been rumored for months. What is confirmed: this sits firmly in the AirPods lineup, not the smart glasses project (code N50), which analysts peg for iOS 28 at the earliest. AirPods Ultra are reportedly further along in development than the glasses.

The Pricing Trap You Should Avoid

Apple's 2026 roadmap includes up to 16 new device launches. Sixteen. When the pipeline is that fat, the company floods the market with premium SKUs, each one designed to anchor a higher MSRP ceiling. AirPods Ultra will almost certainly debut above the AirPods Pro 3's $249 price point — probably north of $299, given the added sensor hardware and the "Ultra" branding Apple reserves for its most expensive tier.

Here's the math that matters: if you buy AirPods Pro 3 today at full retail, you're locking in $249 of capital against a product that will face immediate depreciation pressure once Ultra models hit. The Pro 3 won't become obsolete — Apple historically supports earbuds for four to five years — but its resale floor will drop within weeks of an Ultra announcement. Current street price is MSRP or close to it. That's the highest cost-per-year you'll pay.

When To Click Buy — And When To Wait

No launch date exists. No pricing exists. What exists is a beta code trail that suggests Apple is actively engineering Visual Intelligence for a wearable form factor with two cameras. That's engineering-stage work, not marketing-stage hype.

If your AirPods are functional: wait. You're looking at a potential announcement within the next product cycle, and the used market for Pro 3s will soften before that happens. If you need earbuds today and refuse to wait, buy at the historical low — track Amazon and Costco pricing, where AirPods Pro 3 have dipped to $189–$199 in prior deal windows. Never pay MSRP in the second half of a product's lifecycle when a new tier is clearly in the pipeline.

The cameras aren't a gimmick. They're Apple's foothold in wearable AI. But the first generation of any new Apple category carries an early-adopter tax you don't need to pay. Let the beta testers fund the R&D. Your job is to buy the refined version at a price that makes sense.