Leaked Video of Apple’s Camera AirPods Sparks Privacy Backlash
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Apple’s camera-equipped AirPods are on track for release in 2027, but a leaked video this week gave the internet a sneak peek, and it wasn’t a great look.
A developer version of a Mac software update accidentally included a video showing the earbuds in action. MacRumors published it first, and Bloomberg confirmed it lines up with the AirPods relying on Visual Intelligence, Apple’s feature that uses cameras to figure out what’s around you and feed that info to Siri and other AI tools. With Apple’s September iPhone event coming up, the leak got people wondering if the launch was right around the corner.
It’s not. Supply chain and software issues pushed the product from a planned 2026 release to 2027, Apple told Bloomberg. But that hasn’t stopped people online from freaking out a little. Some have started calling the earbuds “pervertpods,” creeped out by the idea of cameras built into something people wear in public without anyone else knowing.
Apple says the cameras are just low-resolution sensors. They’re not meant to take photos or video, only to scan the environment and give Siri some context. Privacy has been a core part of Apple’s brand for years, and the company is reportedly trying hard to avoid the kind of backlash Meta faced over its own camera-equipped smart glasses.
Apple’s camera-equipped AirPods are on track for release in 2027, but a leaked video this week gave the internet a sneak peek, and it wasn’t a great look.
A developer version of a Mac software update accidentally included a video showing the earbuds in action. MacRumors published it first, and Bloomberg confirmed it lines up with the AirPods relying on Visual Intelligence, Apple’s feature that uses cameras to figure out what’s around you and feed that info to Siri and other AI tools. With Apple’s September iPhone event coming up, the leak got people wondering if the launch was right around the corner.
It’s not. Supply chain and software issues pushed the product from a planned 2026 release to 2027, Apple told Bloomberg. But that hasn’t stopped people online from freaking out a little. Some have started calling the earbuds “pervertpods,” creeped out by the idea of cameras built into something people wear in public without anyone else knowing.
Apple says the cameras are just low-resolution sensors. They’re not meant to take photos or video, only to scan the environment and give Siri some context. Privacy has been a core part of Apple’s brand for years, and the company is reportedly trying hard to avoid the kind of backlash Meta faced over its own camera-equipped smart glasses.
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