Development of Apple's rumored camera-equipped AirPods Pro has been halted, according to the leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami."
In a blunt post on X referencing a June post about the product "case" being "concluded," the leaker appeared to be correcting it to say that the project has been "suspended." No other details were provided.
The claim comes as quite a surprise, given that Bloomberg reported in May that the camera-equipped AirPods Pro were nearing completion and had reached an "advanced" testing stage, suggesting early mass production could be imminent.
That said, the same report also noted that Apple could also opt to wait to launch the AirPods if it was not satisfied with the quality of the Visual Intelligence features in development for Siri.
The AirPods Pro's built-in cameras are said to feed visual information about the wearer's surroundings to Siri. The cameras would not be for taking photos or videos, but used solely for AI purposes. "Kosutami" claimed in February that the infrared cameras will allow for the AirPods Pro to be "connected with Apple Intelligence," and other reliable sources have since corroborated that claim. The new AirPods have been in development for around four years.
Apple reportedly wanted to start selling the camera-equipped AirPods Pro in the first half of 2026, but the product's launch was held back because the smarter, AI version of Siri was still being developed – it exists in the current iOS 27 beta, but it won't be widely available until the release of iOS 27 in September.
Bloomberg said Apple was expecting strong demand for the new AirPods Pro and had operations teams working to secure components for a launch in challenging circumstances, owing to the industry-wide shortage of memory chips and other silicon. It's not clear whether this is the reason behind Kosutami's claim that the project has been suspended.
Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, around 10 months before the iPhone 16 Pro launched, they correctly revealed that it would feature a metal-enclosed battery.
They also provided an early look at an Apple Watch band made from Apple's controversial FineWoven material. However, Kosutami incorrectly claimed that AirPods Pro 3 were imminent in August 2024.
