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Apple is working on AirPods that have cameras for feeding data to Siri . The new earbuds will be Apple's first AI wearable, and current rumors suggest they're going to come out in late 2027. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Design The AirPods will look similar to the current AirPods Pro 3 , but with cameras embedded in the stem. Apple also plans to include a light that will come on when visual data from the AirPods is being sent to the cloud. The LED will let people around the wearer know the cameras are in use. Size, design, and fit are expected to remain the largely same for the earbuds and the charging case, with the exception of the changes to the stem. Rumors suggest Apple will use tiny infrared cameras, similar to the infrared camera used for Face ID . Features The cameras in the AirPods will be used for sending data about the wearer's surroundings to ‌Siri‌, giving ‌Siri‌ more information about where the user is and what's nearby. ‌Siri‌ will be able to answer questions about objects or whatever the wearer happens to be looking at. The camera-equipped AirPods could be useful for more exact turn-by-turn directions when walking, contextual reminders, 3D mapping, and more. The iPhone already has Visual Intelligence , which uses AI to identify plants, animals, landmarks, art, books, and more. Camera-equipped AirPods will be able to supply data for ‌Visual Intelligence‌ without the need to use the Camera app. Users aren't likely to be able to use the cameras to capture photos and videos. H3 Chip Apple is working on an upgraded H3 chip and it could make its first appearance in the next AirPods Pro. The H3 chip is expected to bring latency improvements and better audio quality. Naming Initial rumors about the AirPods with cameras said they wouldn't be a full new model and wouldn't be called the AirPods Pro 4, but launch timing has since changed. It's now likely the AirPods will be part of the AirPods Pro line, but naming is still unsettled. Apple could call them the AirPods Pro 4, but AirPods Ultra is also a possibility. Pricing With the addition of cameras, the AirPods could be more expensive than the current $249 ‌AirPods Pro 3‌. Compatibility Since the AirPods will feed data to ‌Siri‌, an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence will be required to use the features. ‌Apple Intelligence‌ is available on the iPhone 15 Pro and later. Release Date There were rumors suggesting the camera-equipped AirPods could come out as soon as this year, but the latest information indicates the new earbuds will launch in late 2027 alongside the 20th anniversary iPhone and a second-generation foldable iPhone. Apple reportedly needed more time for the AirPods to design visual AI models capable of identifying objects. Apple is testing the new AirPods with iOS 28, an update that Apple is already developing. Related Roundups: AirPods 4 , AirPods Pro 3 Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Caution) , AirPods Pro (Neutral) Related Forum: AirPods This article, " Apple's Camera-Equipped AirPods Ultra: What to Expect " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Apple is working on a macOS Tahoe 26.5.2 update that's expected to come out in the near future. The second macOS Golden Gate beta includes an upgrade path from ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.5.2, which suggests 26.5.2 is an upcoming build that Apple expects devices to be running soon. The update will be released alongside iOS 26.5.2, which we've already confirmed is in testing based on MacRumors visitor logs. ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.5.2 and iOS 26.5.2 are expected to be minor updates with bug fixes and security updates. Apple is also testing ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.6 and iOS 26.6 updates, and two betas have been released so far. With the 26.6 software not too far off, it's likely we'll get iOS 26.5.2 and ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.5.2 this week. Related Roundups: iOS 26 , iPadOS 26 , macOS Tahoe Related Forums: iOS 26 , macOS Tahoe This article, " macOS Tahoe 26.5.2 and iOS 26.5.2 Updates Coming Soon " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Apple is planning to remove the AirPort Utility app from the App Store in the near future, according to the release notes for iOS 27 beta 2. The app is no longer fully supported in ‌iOS 27‌, and Apple warns that it is not guaranteed to work. AirPort Utility will no longer be available for new downloads from the App Store. If you previously downloaded the app, you can still re-download it. When using AirPort Utility on iOS 27 and later, functionality is not guaranteed. Users who have downloaded AirPort Utility in the past will be able to re-download it if needed. Apple also plans to remove AirPort Utility from new installations of macOS, but users who already have it installed will continue to be able to use it after updating to new versions of macOS. As with ‌iOS 27‌, Apple says it isn't guaranteed to work in macOS Golden Gate . AirPort Utility lets users manage AirPort base stations like the AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express, and AirPort Time Capsule. Apple discontinued its AirPort routers back in 2018, but has continued to support them through the AirPort Utility app. With ‌macOS Golden Gate‌, Apple is eliminating AFP support , which means the Time Machine feature on Macs will no longer work with the AirPort Time Capsule. With Time Capsule support ending and Apple sunsetting the AirPort Utility app, it's clear Apple does not plan to continue offering updates to users who are still holding on to their AirPort devices. Related Roundups: iOS 27 , iPadOS 27 Tag: App Store This article, " Apple Dropping AirPort Utility From the App Store With iOS 27 " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
With the second beta of iOS 27 , Apple added support for replying to a specific message in an RCS conversation with an Android user. You can now long press on a message to get to the option to reply, and it works the same way that it does with iMessage. ‌iOS 27‌ also displays tapback/reaction emoji to images and videos properly. In iOS 26 , it would use a text descriptor, such as [x loved an image] instead of showing the emoji. In ‌iOS 27‌, the emoji shows up on the image or video as it does in an iMessage conversation. Apple added support for ‌RCS‌ in iOS 18, and has been improving it since then. iOS 26.5 added encryption for ‌RCS‌ messages sent between iPhone and Android users, and now more of the ‌RCS‌ features are being implemented. For ‌RCS‌ reply threading to work properly, both the sender and the recipient need to have a smartphone and carrier that supports ‌RCS‌. ‌iOS 27‌ is limited to developers currently, but it will be available to the public when Apple releases a public beta in July. The software will see an official launch in September. Related Roundups: iOS 27 , iPadOS 27 Tags: Android , RCS This article, " iOS 27 Beta 2 Adds Inline Replies to iPhone-to-Android RCS Chats " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
