Summary
- Apple is reportedly bringing a live-translation feature to AirPods.
- The feature will allow real-time translated conversations between speakers of different languages.
- Google Pixel Buds have offered a similar live-translation feature since the first-gen launch in 2017.
Android and iOS have a long history of borrowing features from each other, though it often feels like Android does more of the copying. Recently, Google decided to
bring back lock screen widgets
after seeing their success on iOS, but now it looks like Apple might be taking inspiration from one of the best Google Pixel Buds features for its AirPods.
Related
According to Bloomberg, Apple is working on a live translation feature for AirPods, set to arrive later this year via a software update. The feature won’t reportedly be limited to new AirPods models — it will also roll out to some existing AirPods (though it’s unclear which ones). It’s expected to launch alongside iOS 19 and would allow users speaking different languages to have real-time, in-person translated conversations.
Here’s how it will reportedly work: imagine two people speaking different languages — one in English and the other in Spanish. The iPhone would listen to the Spanish speaker, translate the speech, and relay it in English to the person wearing AirPods. The phone would then listen to the AirPods user, translate their response into Spanish, and play it aloud through the iPhone’s speaker.
Live translation could be coming to AirPods later this year
If that sounds familiar, it’s because Google Pixel Buds have offered this exact feature since their first-gen launch in 2017. Pixel Buds have offered live translation for years, working in a nearly identical way using the Google Translate app. Users can trigger it with “Hey Google” and say “Help me speak
Related
How to use your Google Pixel Buds to translate conversations in real time
Hold conversations in different languages
In fact, Google Pixel Buds offer an additional feature called Transcribe Mode, which listens to another language in real-time and displays live transcriptions while translating. While it’s unclear whether Apple’s implementation will match Google’s full feature set, it’s still great to see one of the best Pixel Buds features potentially coming to AirPods.
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