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For most of 2026, the AirPods Pro 4 story was about tiny infrared cameras hidden in each earbud. By August, the story has split in two: a genuinely new feature that’s been pushed back, and a more ordinary update that’s reportedly still on track. Here’s what’s actually happening, based on reporting through early August 2026.
Two Different AirPods Pro Models, Two Different Timelines
The clearest recent reporting — including a Mark Gurman report from early July 2026 and an AppleInsider piece published August 2, 2026 — describes two separate projects rather than one AirPods Pro 4:
| Codename | What it is | Reported status (Aug 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| B790 | Camera-free update to the current AirPods Pro | Still expected in 2026; referenced in iOS 27 code |
| B798 | Camera-equipped model with infrared sensors | Slipped to 2027; reportedly in design validation testing (DVT) |
This is a meaningful distinction if you’ve been waiting specifically for the camera feature: as of this writing, the camera-equipped AirPods Pro is not expected in 2026. If you just want Apple’s next mainstream AirPods Pro refresh, that piece (B790) is reportedly still moving forward for a late-2026 release.
What Changed: The Camera Delay
Earlier in 2026, reporting from analysts including Ming-Chi Kuo pointed to a fall 2026 launch window for camera-equipped AirPods Pro, some coverage even tying it to Apple’s rumored foldable iPhone event. That timeline held through the spring.
Then, in late June and early July 2026, multiple outlets — MacRumors, Notebookcheck, and finance-focused outlet BigGo among them — reported that Apple had suspended active development of the camera-equipped model for a 2026 window. The reporting is consistent on the mechanism: the camera hardware is still working through design validation testing, a late-stage engineering process, and that timeline doesn’t leave enough runway for mass production ahead of a 2026 launch. Reports frame this as a delay, not a cancellation — Gurman’s reporting suggests Apple still intends to ship the camera model, just in 2027 rather than 2026.
As of August 2, 2026, the most recent reporting (AppleInsider) confirms this split remains the situation: camera AirPods Pro pushed to 2027, camera-free AirPods Pro still targeted for 2026.
What the Cameras Were Supposed to Do
It’s worth explaining what generated the hype in the first place. The rumored infrared cameras — tiny sensors embedded in each earbud — were reportedly intended to let AirPods “see” the wearer’s surroundings and gestures, feeding that data into Apple Intelligence for context-aware features. Reported use cases included hands-free gesture control (head nods/shakes to accept or decline actions), spatial awareness for future Vision Pro companion features, and more context-aware Siri responses based on what’s around you. None of that is coming in 2026 now, based on current reporting.
What’s Actually Expected in the 2026 Model (B790)
Details on the camera-free 2026 update are thinner, since most 2026 AirPods Pro coverage focused on the more exciting camera story. What’s reported:
- H3 chip. A next-generation audio chip expected to bring improved active noise cancellation, better power efficiency, and more on-device Apple Intelligence processing headroom — independent of the camera feature.
- Incremental hardware refinements. Coverage describes it as “an enhancement of the current version,” implying iterative improvements (fit, battery, ANC tuning) rather than a redesigned case or stem.
- No confirmed design changes. Expect the current AirPods Pro 3 silhouette to carry over.
Health Features: What Carries Over
It’s easy to forget amid the camera hype that Apple’s AirPods Pro already gained real health hardware in the 2025 refresh. The AirPods Pro 3 shipped with a heart-rate sensor and workout tracking for roughly 50 exercise types when paired with an iPhone, alongside earlier-added hearing-health features like a clinical-grade hearing test and hearing aid functionality. Reporting on the 2026 update expects these health features — heart rate, temperature-adjacent sensing, hearing health tools — to carry over and likely improve incrementally, even in the camera-free B790 model. None of this is as headline-grabbing as cameras, but it’s arguably more useful day to day, and it’s the part of the AirPods Pro 4 story that’s actually low-risk to expect.
AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods Pro 4 (Rumored): At a Glance
| Feature | AirPods Pro 3 (current) | AirPods Pro 4 (rumored, 2026 model) |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | H2 | H3 (rumored) |
| Cameras | No | No (camera model delayed to 2027) |
| Heart rate sensor | Yes | Expected to carry over |
| Hearing health tools | Yes | Expected to carry over/improve |
| ANC | Current generation | Improved, per H3 rumors |
| Design | Current AirPods Pro shape | Expected largely unchanged |
| Price | $249 | Unconfirmed |
Treat this table as a snapshot of current reporting, not a spec sheet — it will change as Apple’s 2026 event approaches.
AirPods Pro 4 Price: What We Know
Pricing remains genuinely speculative for both models. Early rumors floated two scenarios for the camera-equipped version: roughly $249 if it simply replaces the current AirPods Pro 3 lineup, or closer to $299 if Apple sells it as a premium tier alongside the existing model. Since the camera model has slipped to 2027, none of that pricing speculation applies to what’s actually shipping in 2026 — and no credible price rumor has emerged yet for the camera-free B790 update. Treat any specific number you see for “AirPods Pro 4 price” right now as a guess, not a leak.
Why Apple Reportedly Delayed the Cameras
Camera-equipped earbuds are a genuinely new product category for Apple, and reporting suggests the delay comes down to ordinary hardware-engineering reality rather than any single dramatic setback. Fitting an infrared camera, its supporting optics, and enough processing headroom into an earbud small enough to be comfortable and battery-efficient is a harder engineering problem than adding a camera to a phone or watch, where there’s far more internal volume to work with. Design validation testing (DVT) is one of the last major gates before mass production tooling, and being stuck there in mid-2026 for a product that would need to ship by September made the math not work for Apple’s typical fall timeline.
It’s also worth noting Apple has a track record of letting ambitious AirPods features slip a generation — the health-sensor rumors that eventually became the AirPods Pro 3’s heart-rate feature circulated for a couple of product cycles before actually shipping. A 2027 camera model, if it holds, would follow that same pattern.
What the Cameras Were Meant to Enable (When They Do Ship)
Even delayed, it’s worth understanding what Apple is reportedly building toward, since it frames why this feature keeps generating so much coverage. The infrared sensors are described as an “AI sensing platform” rather than photography hardware — no photos or video, just enough spatial data for the earbuds to understand basic gestures (like a head shake to decline a call) and surroundings. That data would feed Apple Intelligence and could plausibly extend to Vision Pro companion features, letting AirPods act as an additional spatial sensor for Apple’s headset ecosystem. None of that changes what ships in 2026, but it explains why analysts keep tracking this project closely even through a delay.
Should You Wait, or Buy AirPods Pro 3 Now?
If cameras and Vision Pro-style spatial features were the draw, there’s nothing to wait for in 2026 — that model isn’t shipping this year based on current reporting, and even 2027 isn’t locked in. If you just want Apple’s best current earbuds, the AirPods Pro 3 already deliver excellent ANC, fit, and battery life, and buying now doesn’t obviously cost you anything — the reported 2026 update (B790) sounds like a refinement, not a reason to feel like you bought the wrong thing.
If you want the full picture of how Apple’s earbuds have evolved generation to generation, our guide to AirPods models by release date covers every version. And if you’re shopping the same September 2026 Apple event for a watch too, our Apple Watch Series 12 rumor roundup covers what’s expected there.
The Bottom Line
The honest summary, as of August 2026: Apple almost certainly has a new AirPods Pro model coming before the end of the year, built around an H3 chip and incremental refinements to the current design and health features. What it almost certainly won’t have is the camera feature that generated most of the 2026 hype — that’s reportedly been pushed to 2027, and even that date isn’t locked in. If you’ve been holding off buying earbuds specifically to get cameras, keep waiting. If you just wanted Apple’s next general refresh, or you need earbuds now, there’s little reason to expect the 2026 model to be a dramatic enough leap to justify holding out through the fall.
We’ll update this article the moment Apple confirms a date, model name, or pricing.
Sources: MacRumors, AppleInsider, Notebookcheck, The Gadgeteer.