James Rowe: Can Apple headphones really translate languages in real time? We put them to the test to find out.
James Rowe: Hello and welcome to Which? Shorts, your free weekly insight into Which? magazine, as well as our Money, Tech, Travel, and Gardening titles, too. Today, I'm bringing you a piece that our headphones expert Humairaa Habib wrote for the October/November issue of Which? Travel, all about Apple's live translation feature on some of its newest headphones. This is another of Apple's tech developments that promises to bridge language barriers in person by translating foreign languages into English straight through your headphones.
Here, Humairaa shares the results of our test, where we set out to find out just how accurate Apple's live translation really is. Here's Humairaa's piece adapted for the podcast, this week read by me, James Rowe.
James Rowe: Language barriers are an age-old hindrance, but Apple claims to have found a neat solution. Its AirPods Pro 3 headphones can now translate speech live, so when someone speaks a foreign language, you'll hear Siri's voice translating it into English at the same time. You'll still need your school-learnt French to ask where the boulangerie is, or to order a mille-feuille, as it only translates what you hear, not what you say.
Alternatively, you can start the conversation by typing your message into Apple's Translate app, which will translate the text. You can then hold up your phone to show the person, then essentially to and fro between the person speaking and you responding by writing in the app.
Now, we put live translation to the test with four bilingual speakers who judged how accurately it translates French, German, Italian, and Spanish. The tests were split between a quiet and noisy room to assess how well live translation would work in a loud airport terminal or busy railway station.
Live translation is only available on select Apple headphones. We tested it using the Pro 3s. You also need an iPhone 15 Pro or later with Apple Intelligence enabled, running at least iOS 26.0. Live translation works alongside Apple's Translate app, which also translates speech in real time. You need to download your chosen languages, and translation currently only supports nine: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, and Spanish.
But does it work? Well, we found the translation was mostly spot-on, and mistakes were only minor. For example, it referred to British Airways as "Brittany Shareware" when our Italian speaker told us about her trip, and translated "shorter holidays" as "holidays little shorter". But you could always understand what was meant. If you were lost and needed directions or wanted to buy a particular train ticket, Apple Translate would help in understanding, especially if you're in a less-touristy area where people don't speak English.
It did struggle with more complex conversations, though, especially in noisy environments. For example, our Spanish speaker discussed a rewards app when there was background noise, and there was a noticeable delay between the speech and in-ear translation. At a busy hotel reception or restaurant, it will likely be easier and quicker just to use broken English to make yourself understood. Similarly, if you ask about something more urgent and complex, such as allergy information, there may be a small delay in translation. Here, the written Translate app may be better, as we found it translates faster. Bear in mind, too, that you can't save conversations in the app because of privacy restrictions, so if you ask a local person about bus times, for example, you'd have to make a note of them there and then.
So, should you buy them? Well, if you're asking locals a simple question on holiday, the AirPods will translate accurately. It might not be instant, and you may have to decode some sentences, but we're confident you'd leave with an answer. But two-way conversations are only possible with two pairs of compatible headphones, so not only do you still need to initiate the conversation or use the written Translate app, but also awkwardly explain the tech to anyone you speak to.
Unless you're really heading off the beaten track in regions where people speak little English, we wouldn't recommend upgrading your phone and headphones just to use live translation. While they do make it easier to get information from locals, it's impossible to have a natural conversation, and you may end up relying on the written translation app anyway. You can read our full review of the Apple AirPods Pro 3 on our website; there's a link in the show notes.
What about Android? Well, yes, Google also offers a live translation function powered by Gemini AI. It translates speech as it's spoken through your phone speaker or earbuds, just like the AirPods, except it works with most pairs of earbuds or headphones across both Apple and Android phones. Live Translate supports more than 70 languages. Users can choose between two modes: listening, if it's a one-way dialogue, or conversation, which automatically switches back and forth between two selected languages. The app is free to download and to use, and it's widely available on both Android and Apple smartphones. Although we haven't tested it, it is a cheaper alternative to Apple's live translation.
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