Don't know the language? Apple's new AirPods will translate speech 'live'

Even a casual watcher of Star Trek is likely to have seen the characters exploring strange new worlds with compact translator devices in hand. Well, now Apple users armed with the new AirPods Pro 3 can bring science fiction to life.

“Live Translation” makes in-person communication across select languages available. It works with Apple Intelligence (its brand of AI) to help people connect at home and abroad. The listener will hear the speaker’s speech translated into the listener’s preferred language.

The new Apple earbuds arrive in Canadian stores on Friday for $329 (plus tax).

Live Translation will only be available initially with English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. By the end of the year, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified) will be in play.

The translation app can be used whether the conversing participants are speaking or messaging. It’s integrated into the iPhone, as well as the Messages and FaceTime apps.

In Messages, Live Translation will translate a user’s response as they type and deliver it in the recipient’s language. During FaceTime calls, users can follow along with live translated captions. During a phone call, the translation is spoken out loud in real time.

Users can access Live Translation with their AirPods by simultaneously pressing both AirPods stems and saying “Siri, start Live Translation” or by using the Action button on iPhone.

Consider walking through Tokyo, Paris, or Mexico City and being able to engage in basic conversations without knowing the local language. The AirPods Pro 3 will make this scenario possible for millions of people.

The new AirPods Pro 3 can translate the meaning of phrases instead of being a direct translation of words , which makes the output sound like people, not phrasebooks. This means conversations should feel more natural, less robotic.

One closer-to-home real-world impact is the appeal of being able to understand service workers who don’t speak fluent English. Or making it easier for immigrant children who feel more comfortable in their own language. In Canada, it could mean a bridge across the English-French divide, to name but one language gap.

During the 2025 Apple unveiling event , the company was evidently targeting the average user who can’t do translations. The demo showed two parties wearing the earbuds and their conversation (in Portuguese and English) flowing naturally.

Some conversations are too important to trust to AI alone.

Imagine you’re in a hospital emergency room and the doctor asks what’s wrong. A mistranslated symptom could lead to the wrong treatment.

In courtrooms, talking with the police, or signing contracts, individual word matters. Translation errors can have a huge impact on people’s rights and futures.

In educational settings, students with limited English need precise translation. Ditto for parent-teacher conferences.

Apple’s previous journeys into AI have been uneven. The company promised it for 2024’s iPhone 16 but fell short. But the New York Times reviewer said the “robust translation technology in the AirPods is a sign that Apple is still in the A.I. race.”

It’s also an improvement on clunky apps of the past, such as Google Translate and Microsoft Translator, which required users to hold their phone up to someone speaking a foreign language, then wait for a translation to appear on the screen or play on the phone’s little speaker. Moreover, the translations often missed the mark.

With AirPods 3, about a second after someone speaks, the translation is played on them in the wearer’s preferred language.

Analysts are excited that the feature could mark a step forward for Apple’s AI strategy, according to CNBC .

But Apple is not alone. This year, Google and Meta have also released products with real-time translation capability.

Google’s Pixel 10 phone can translate what a speaker is saying to the listener’s language during phone calls. “Voice Translate” is also designed to preserve the speaker’s voice inflections. It will start showing up on people’s Pixel phones via a software update on Monday.

Meanwhile, Meta announced in May that its Ray-Ban Meta glasses will be able to translate what a person is saying in another language using the device’s speakers. The other party in the conversation will be able to see translated responses on their phone.

Finally, it should be noted that according to the New York Times , this version of Apple AirPods have slightly better noise cancellation, but other than the Live Translation feature are not that different from the last version of the earbuds.

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