A logical step in the evolutionary development of the functionality of headphones is the emergence of the ability to simultaneously translate speech from different languages - subject to pairing with a smartphone, of course. Apple cannot claim to be a pioneer in this area, but with the release of iOS 19, it plans to provide this function to wireless AirPods headphones.
Image Source: Apple
This was reported on the pages of Bloomberg by Mark Gurman, who is traditionally well-informed about Apple’s plans. The corresponding update will be delivered to AirPods by the end of this year, and will be tied to the iOS 19 operating system. Apple smartphones themselves implemented a similar function back in 2020, but using headphones for these needs will make its use more convenient.
It is noteworthy that Google, a competitor, included a similar function in its first-generation Pixel Buds headphones back in 2017, continuing to improve it in the future. Meta✴ and Humane also included simultaneous speech translation in their wearable devices in previous years.
It is assumed that when paired with an iPhone, the simultaneous translation function will work in such a way that the user will hear the translation of the interlocutor’s speech into the desired language in the headphones, and the response statements of the iPhone owner will be received through the microphone of the headphones into the smartphone, translated into another language, and voiced to the interlocutor through the iPhone speakers.