Massive macOS Leak Reveals Camera AirPods, Foldable iPhones, and More
Yasar Turanli / Shutterstock
Toggle Dark Mode
These things almost never happen to Apple, but the company slipped up — big time. Apple seeded a new macOS 26.7 Tahoe release candidate that might have had more information than the company wanted it to. Inside the code, there were tons of references to many Apple products that haven’t been released yet.
That’s right; Apple was tired of people leaking their upcoming products and decided to do it itself. Now we have a pretty clear look at Apple’s potential product lineup for the near future.
Of course, some of the products on the list are already expected, like a new iPhone, but there are still a ton of surprises, including a new pair of AirPods with Apple Intelligence and a camera.
Apple Is Working on Smarter AirPods
By far, one of the coolest things that was found in the release candidate was a video about a new pair of AirPods. These new earbuds will feature a built-in camera that you’ll be able to activate once you put the AirPods on.
In theory, you’ll be able to call for Siri and ask it to take note of whatever is in front of you. Siri would analyze whatever it is and save it accordingly. Besides that, your AirPods would also be able to use Visual Intelligence like on your iPhone, so you’d be able to ask for information about places, things, or even animals, and get an answer right in your ears. You could also grab phone numbers or create events on your calendar just by asking Siri to look at the information in front of you.
What’s cool is that, besides the code name for these AirPods (B790), there was also a video briefly showing how this feature would work. In the video, a person holds up a book and asks Siri to read the title and save it.
Because there’s already a video available, many people have started to speculate that these new AirPods are really close to launching. In previous years, Apple has launched new AirPods alongside the new iPhone, so it would make sense that we could see it in just a few weeks.
However, Mark Gurman, a well-known Apple analyst at Bloomberg, says we still won’t see these AirPods this year. In fact, Apple is still planning on launching them in 2027. Hopefully, he’s wrong, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Besides these new AirPods, there were also codes for possible new Beats headphones (codenamed B518 and B522). The codes AirPodsPro1,4 and AirPods3,5 were also found, which could reference the fourth-generation AirPods Pro and the fifth-generation AirPods.
To No One’s Surprise, Some New iPhones Are Coming
This is already a given, but there are a few iPhones that are also mentioned inside the code of the Tahoe release candidate. In it, people found the codes V62, V63, V64, and V67, which are the codes for the iPhone Air 2, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone 18, respectively.
Of course, we already know these iPhones are coming. We should see the iPhone 18 Pro models come out in September 2026 — likely less than three weeks from now. The second-generation iPhone Air and the iPhone 18, however, aren’t expected to launch until next spring, which would be a first for Apple.
Besides the iPhone 18 lineup, the code V68 was also found, which is way more exciting. This code is rumored to be the new foldable iPhone — the so-called “iPhone Ultra” — which would be Apple’s first-ever foldable.
If the rumors are true, this iPhone would have a design similar to the new Samsung Galaxy Fold 8, and it would be coming in September alongside the Pro models. Of course, this is still just speculation, but the existence of the code inside the release candidate is getting our hopes up.
The Apple Home Hub Is Real
For years, we’ve heard that Apple is working on a new type of HomePod. This device was supposed to feature a screen, so you could control all your smart home accessories with the screen or with Siri’s help.
We’ve been expecting Apple to launch this product for a couple of years, but the company has kept us in the dark, leading some to believe this rumor was completely false.
However, these new leaks keep our hopes alive. According to the codes, Apple is working on two different kinds of hubs. The first one, codenamed J490, is rumored to be a home hub that sits on a stand that you can place anywhere, while the code J491 refers to a different home hub that you could mount on a wall instead.
Additionally, the code name “Pebble” popped up again, which is believed to refer to homeOS, Apple’s new operating system for its home devices. The code B525 appears too, which is believed to be the next-generation HomePod mini, as the current generation is referred to as B520.
All in all, it seems Apple is working on many different smart home accessories at the moment. While we don’t have any specific release dates, it’s possible that these devices are closer than ever.
New Macs Are Probably on the Way
The release candidate also had code for new Macs that hopefully are coming soon. For starters, the codes J833 and J834 could potentially refer to two new iMac models. While we don’t know much about them, it’s great to see that Apple is still working on a desktop computer that already comes with a screen.
Additionally, the code name J804 also appeared in the code, likely referring to the basic 14-inch MacBook Pro, which means we could see an upgrade in the near future.
Speaking of the MacBook Pro, the bigger, more powerful models also appear in the code. Codenamed K114c, K114s, and K116c, these models are probably the OLED MacBook Pros that Apple’s supposedly been working on for the last couple of years.
The iPad mini Is Also Getting Some Love
The iPad mini is often forgotten as it’s not as big or powerful as the rest of the family. However, Apple might be working on the next-generation model as we speak.
The code names J510 and J511, which refer to the iPad mini, appear in the Tahoe release candidate, which means a new model could be in the works. There have already been rumors about the iPad mini; mainly, we’re expecting to see a new OLED display and the A19 on the inside.
There Are Many More Products in the Works
Even though it’s mostly just code names, this is one of the biggest leaks we’ve seen from Apple in a while. Beyond the flagship devices we’ve already covered, Apple clearly has its hands full in the R&D department.
For instance, there was information about a new Apple TV remote, which could potentially mean that the next-generation Apple TV is in the works.
There’s also mention of a headset, as the codename N109 also appeared in the leak. Some analysts believe this code refers to the second-generation Apple Vision Pro, while others point out that it’s used for the cheaper Apple Vision headset Apple is supposedly working on.
But that’s not all; the codes we’ve mentioned are the ones we know (or think we know) what they refer to. The leak still mentions the codes of over 20 products that we don’t know anything about. Safe to say, Apple has its hands full with a ton of projects.
Don’t Expect All of These Products Right Away
Even though all of these leaks are exciting, we shouldn’t expect most of these products to come out any time soon. At best, we might see one or two of the products on the list launch this year. Besides the iPhone lineup, of course.
Still, we might see many of these products as soon as 2027, if everything goes according to Apple’s plans (which doesn’t always happen). So don’t get too impatient yet; there’s still a long way to go before we see many of these products come to light.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
