Apple is reportedly gearing up to introduce a real-time translation feature for AirPods as part of an iOS 19 software update set to launch later this year.
According to Bloomberg, the feature will enable the device to translate live conversations by capturing speech through the iPhone and playing the translation back to the user through the AirPods. At the same time, a translated response from the user can played aloud via the iPhone’s speakers for the other person.
Apple already offers a Translate app on iPhones, launched in 2020. Integrating live translation into the AirPods would place Apple in competition with Google’s Pixel Bud wearables, which have offered similar capabilities since 2017.
Bloomberg noted that Apple is also working on new AirPods hardware, with the development of third-generation AirPods Pro underway. The company is also experimenting with a model of earbuds featuring built-in cameras, designed to offer AI-powered awareness of the users’ surroundings.
The tech giant reportedly plans to enhance other translation capabilities in its iOS 19 update beyond the planned AirPods feature. The AirPods update is part of a wider software refresh, which apparently includes its most significant redesign of the iOS to date, alongside a revamped macOS.
Apple has previously expanded AirPods’ capabilities through software updates, allowing users to access new features with their existing wearables. Last year, the company rolled out health enhancements for the second-generation AirPods Pro, including hearing aid functionality and at-home hearing tests.