Apple is reportedly bringing live translation to AirPods
Learning a new language has always felt like a rewarding challenge, until now, maybe. Apple is reportedly working on bringing live translation to AirPods, making real-time conversations possible without ever pulling out your phone. It’s an exciting idea, though not exactly groundbreaking since Google’s Pixel Buds have offered something similar for a while now.
The concept is simple, you tap the buds, and they pick up what the other person is saying, and translate it into your language. For a proper two-way conversation, both people would ideally have earbuds with the feature.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is expected to roll out this feature later this year as part of an AirPods software update, likely coinciding with iOS 19. That means you might not need to buy new AirPods to access it, though Apple hasn’t confirmed which models will support it.
What’s less clear is how Apple is making this work. Will it be AI-powered? Will it support a broad range of languages? So far, Apple hasn’t said much. But considering its recent push into AI and on-device machine learning, we can assume this translation feature will lean on some kind of advanced AI model.
One possibility is that Apple will integrate it with the existing Translate app, using the iPhone as a hub. That would mean one person hears the translation through their AirPods while the iPhone speaker plays the translated response for the other person.
Apple is playing catch-up here. Google’s Pixel Buds have offered live translation for years, supporting about 40 languages. Other brands like Timekettle, Mymanu, and even newer earbuds like the Earfun AirPro 4+ have jumped into this space as well. And let’s not forget AI chatbots like Google’s Gemini, which can translate conversations in real-time.
Apple could take a couple of different approaches. It might partner with an existing AI translation service like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which is already being integrated into Siri. Or, in classic Apple fashion, it could build its translation model that works completely offline for better privacy and speed.
As cool as this sounds, I doubt it’ll replace learning a language. There’s a huge difference between understanding the words and truly engaging with a language and its culture. Plus, relying on AirPods for conversations seems a bit awkward. Imagine trying to bond with someone while constantly tapping your earbuds.