Smart glasses or camera-equipped AirPods? New iOS 27 prompt hints at Apple's next wearable

While leaks and reports from tipsters have offered a glimpse into Apple's wearable technology roadmap, the Cupertino-based tech giant has remained tight-lipped about its future products. Despite the company's secrecy, developers and industry insiders continue to uncover clues about what Apple may have in the pipeline.

Developer Sam Henri Gold has reportedly discovered code referencing a device with the codename "B780." While the codename itself does not reveal much, the code includes system prompts instructing Apple's Visual Intelligence feature to recognise landmarks, text, and everyday objects. Among the examples referenced in the code are the Eiffel Tower and a coffee mug.

The code also appears to reference input from two cameras positioned on either side of a user's head. Although some initially interpreted this as evidence of Apple's long-rumoured smart glasses, others believe the details align more closely with a pair of camera-equipped earbuds. The AirPods Pro 3 are internally codenamed B788, suggesting that B780 could belong to another product within the same family.

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Apple's smart glasses or camera-equipped AirPods?

Apple's rumoured smart glasses are reportedly being developed under the codename N50, lending further credibility to speculation that the recently discovered Apple Visual Intelligence wearable reference is actually tied to a pair of camera-equipped AirPods rather than smart glasses. These next-generation earbuds have been widely rumoured to launch under the name "AirPods Ultra."

At the same time, Apple is also said to be actively developing its own smart glasses. Reports suggest the company has accelerated work on the product following the success of Meta's AI-powered smart glasses, which have reportedly gained significantly more traction in the market than the Vision Pro. Both the smart glasses and the camera-equipped AirPods are believed to remain in active development, serving different use cases.

Meta's AI glasses already integrate cameras into their frames to power AI-driven features such as image recognition and contextual assistance. If Apple introduces similar functionality through its earbuds, it would represent the company's latest effort to strengthen its position in the rapidly evolving AI wearables market.