Apple is working on a “universal translator” feature à la Star Trek for its AirPods wireless headphones, which will have the ability to translate in-person conversations from one language to another, reports Bloomberg.
The AirPods will be able to provide a simpler translation process for people who are speaking different languages. While Apple’s iPhone Translate app can already be used to conduct conversations like this, but having the functionality included in the AirPods will streamline the exchange.
The functionality will be a feature in iOS 19, and will debut alongside an AirPods software update planned for later this year.
The functionality will work like this: If an English speaker is speaking to someone that speaks in Spanish, the iPhone will translate the speech, relaying it to the user’s AirPods in English. The English speaker’s words, meanwhile, will be translated into Spanish and played back by the iPhone.
Apple is also planning to improve the Translate app in iOS 19, although there are no details available at the current time. It isn’t clear whether the new feature will be limited to the AirPods Pro 3 earbuds that are expected to launch in 2025, or if the feature will be compatible with existing AirPods as well.
