Apple is planning to introduce a real-time translation feature in AirPods, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports. The feature, which will allow users to translate conversations in real time, will be “tied in” to the upcoming iOS 19, Gurman said.
Apple is a bit behind the curve in adding live translation to AirPods, as Google added the feature to its first pair of Pixel Buds in 2017 and later expanded it to Pixel Buds Pro in 2022. Other companies such as Meta and Humane have also tried to implement live translation into their headphones, although the results have been quite controversial.
According to Gourmet, this feature can help translate a conversation, for example, from Spanish to English by playing a translated version of the speech on the English-speaking interlocutor’s AirPods. When the English-speaking user responds, their iPhone will play the Spanish translation from the speakers. Apple did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.
Last week, Apple announced that it was delaying the release of an updated Siri with artificial intelligence, saying: “It’s taking longer than we thought to realize these features.” According to Gurman, the company also plans to redesign iOS, iPadOS, and macOS this year.
