Apple Plans AirPods Feature That Can Live-Translate Conversations

Apple is planning a new AirPods feature that allows the earbuds to live-translate an in-person conversation into another language, Bloomberg reports, citing people with knowledge of the matter. From the report: The capability will be offered as part of an AirPods software upgrade due later this year, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the effort is private. It will be tied to iOS 19, the upcoming update to Apple's mobile-device operating system.

More vaporware?

[Cognivore]

https://daringfireball.net/2025/03/something_is_rotten_in_the_state_of_cupertino

Re:More vaporware?

[AmiMoJo]

Google has had this for some years with Google Buds. It works okay, sorta. You can have a slow and silted conversation with them, just about. The main issue is that although you get a translation, the other person doesn't, so unless they also have the same earbuds...

For conversations it's generally easier to just use Google Translate in conversation mode.

Re: More vaporware?

[oneiros27]

There was a kickstarter for company that was promising translation in near-real-time (timekettle?). I think their idea was that you give an earbud to the other person, so each one is translating.

You could also just have to send one to the earbuds and the other to the phone's main speaker, but then you need to wait for the speaking to end before it translates.

A quick search for 'kickstarter translation earbuds' shows that there have been multiple companies claiming to have the technology since 2021 or so.

Bu

Re:

[AmiMoJo]

I'm not giving an earbud to someone else, or accepting one fresh from their ear.

The problem is always latency. To translate the translator has to hear the sentence, think about it, and then say it in English. It's never going to work like the Star Trek Universal Translator because it can't see into the future.

Re:

[93 Escort Wagon]

The problem is always latency.

No, the problem is "eww, this thing was just in that person's grody ear!"

Re:

[sentiblue]

True! It may work more quickly if the two languages have the same grammar construct and sequence of terms (noun, adjective, adverb, subject, object, etc...) Many language would have adjective going after the noun and English is the other way around. So in order for two languages with different construct order to be translated, the translator must be allowed to hear the whole sentence before doing the translation. A very experience interpreter can proceed partially through the sentence, but undoubtedly still

Re:

[sysrammer]

I don't trust Airpod Pros to transcribe a voice to a text message--I always take them out to do so. I can imagine the hilarity to ensue from attempts at translation.

Re:

[phantomfive]

Even with idealized perfect translations, it's going to be awkward.

The problem being that some languages start sentences with the Subject, and some languages start sentences with the Object. Even in English, we can flip them (The apple was eaten by me).

In other words, the translation can't start happening until the sentence is ended. So there will always be something of a delay.

Re:

[gnasher719]

Congratulations! You found something negative being said about Apple! That needs to be posted everywhere!

"people with knowledge of the matter"

[Anonymous Coward]

They still exist, eh?

Yeah, tell everybody a different story and see what "leaks"...

STAR TREK!

[Geoffrey.landis]

Ooh! The Star Trek universal translator is here!

Re:

[spudnic]

I'd prefer a Babel Fish, personally.

Re:

[backslashdot]

Question: How could a Babel fish possibly avoid causing side effects? It’s perched there, soaking up brainwave frequencies—surely there must be some impact from either what it’s absorbing or pooping out that affects a person’s physical and mental well-being. And that’s assuming it doesn’t start getting uppity or "malfunctioning" due to loneliness and boredom.

Re:

[Geoffrey.landis]

I'd prefer a Babel Fish, personally.

You're in luck:

https://www.babelfish.com/ [babelfish.com]

Re:

[OrangAsm]

I'm assuming everyone will sound as white as Wonder Bread.

Re:

[SpinyNorman]

Only if that's what you want.

No reason they couldn't support jive too if that's your preference.

https://fahdjivetranslator.net... [netlify.app]

Re:

[sysrammer]

I opened this in FF privacy mode and it failed to do anything. Too bad, I remember having fun with it.

One step closer

[sentiblue]

If this works in real time efficiently, it'll be the universal translator that we hear about in Star Trek, given both sides have the airpods.

But this part makes it fishy: "said the people, who asked not to be identified because the effort is private".

Re:

[martin-boundary]

I don't know if you've ever talked with someone on Zoom while wearing earphones. Sometimes nearby microphones can pick up your voice and replay your own words back to you realtime. It's the worst experience ever. That's what a realtime babblefish would actually be like. No thanks.

Re:

[sentiblue]

That only happens if you have 2 mics being in the same zoom call. This is not comparable.

My hovercraft is full of eels.

[Mal-2]

I will not buy this AI translator, it is scratched.

Heghlu meH

[zawarski]

QaQ jajvam

The oddest thing in the universe...

[sinkskinkshrieks]

Babel fish [youtube.com]

Apple says they'll do a lot of things...

[93 Escort Wagon]

But they have lots of trouble actually executing them.

Maybe this is a use of the Pod Cameras

[SuperKendall]

One thought is that possibly the rumored cameras to be added to AirPods, could help with translation by lip reading along with audio...

Or maybe those are not spots for cameras at all, but larger external speakers that would let others hear you speak better!

Re:

[Cowardly Lurker]

The Babel Fish that feed on brain waves are just made up, complete fiction. Cute, but not real.

So clearly the holes are for feeding them their boring regular fish food.

AirPods feature only?

[gnasher719]

Would that be a feature that only works with AirPods or also with hearing aids, which also have speakers and a microphone? Or other speaker / microphone combinations?

I prefer subtitles

[Rinnon]

Dubbing over someone trying to talk to me sounds like a recipe for a headache. Can't we re-iterate on the older idea of glasses with a HUD and get AI driven subtitles when someone is talking? That sounds way more helpful.

This could be great, but not for me

[wwphx]

I wear hearing aids. And before you say 'buy Airpods and use them for hearing aids', my hearing loss is pretty bad and Airpods are not designed for severe hearing loss. If they can channel sound into regular MFi hearing devices, then they've got something that'd be great.