Apple may bring real-time language translation to AirPods with iOS 19 this fall

The answer is 42: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy introduced the world to the Babel fish – a tiny, yellow creature that could instantly translate any spoken language when inserted into the ear. While Apple's latest plans may not involve intergalactic hitchhiking, they could bring users one step closer to effortless real-time multilanguage communication. Anonymous insiders told Bloomberg that Apple is developing a new AirPods feature that translates in-person conversations in real-time. The functionality, expected to launch later this year, will be included in an AirPods software update tied to iOS 19, Apple's next major mobile operating system release. The technology lets speakers of different languages communicate seamlessly. For example, if someone speaks Spanish, the iPhone translates their words and sends the English version to the listener's AirPods. It does the same in reverse, translating the English speaker's words into Spanish and playing them aloud through the iPhone. ... Read full article.