Apple’s new AirPods Pro 3 use A.I. to deliver real-time translations, offering a practical leap in global communication.
Apple has unveiled its latest AirPods Pro 3 with a standout feature: real-time language translation powered by artificial intelligence. The $250 earbuds, launching Friday, allow users to understand foreign languages directly in their ears with the help of Siri.
During testing, Spanish conversations were translated into English almost instantly, with only minor errors such as pronoun mix-ups. A transcript is also generated in Apple’s Translate app. The feature currently supports Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and English, with more languages promised.
Unlike earlier translation apps that required holding up a phone, users can activate the AirPods interpreter with a simple gesture, hearing translations about a second after someone speaks. Owners of AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 can also access the feature through a software update, provided they use recent iPhones compatible with Apple Intelligence.
Experts say large language models powering the AirPods improve accuracy by considering context, though cultural nuances may still be missed.
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