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AirPods Are Taking Away One of Travel's Great Opportunities

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  Published in Travel and Leisure on Friday, October 31st 2025 at 7:15 GMT by Bloomberg L.P.
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How the Translation Works

Apple claims that the translation engine runs entirely on the AirPods, using the device’s built‑in microphone array and on‑device neural‑network processing. When two users speak different languages, the earbuds pick up the audio, translate it in near real‑time, and output the translated speech through the speaker. The feature is activated by a simple double‑tap gesture or via the new “Translate” tile in the AirPods Control Center, and it automatically toggles on when the device detects that the paired iPhone is in a different language setting.

The company markets the translation as an “AI‑powered, privacy‑first” solution, emphasizing that the audio does not leave the earbuds or the user’s iPhone. Apple’s documentation notes that the earbuds’ on‑device processing is designed to keep user data local, and it only transmits a minimal identifier to Apple’s servers for updates and optional error reporting.

The “Major Downside”

Despite Apple’s assurances, users report a number of problems:

1. Accuracy Issues
   Even in clear, conversational settings, the translation can be garbled or lose nuance. Speech that contains idioms, slang, or rapid changes in subject matter often produces mistranslations. In one case, a user reported that a phrase about “a raining cat”—a common idiom in Spanish—translated as “rainy cat,” leading to confusion during a meeting. The translation quality appears to vary widely across languages, with some supported pairs (e.g., English‑Spanish) performing better than others (e.g., Korean‑Russian).

2. Latency and Sync Problems
   The AirPods’ translation pipeline introduces a perceptible delay, usually around 1.5 to 2 seconds. This lag can disrupt natural conversation flow, causing users to speak over one another or pause too long. In a video interview, a user noted that the delay was “noticeable but manageable” in casual settings, but in fast‑paced negotiations the lag made it difficult to keep up.

3. Battery Drain
   Enabling translation drains the AirPods battery more quickly than normal use. Users with AirPods Pro report a drop of 20–25% in one hour of continuous translation, compared to the typical 20–30% drop for standard music playback. The feature’s on‑device processing demands more CPU cycles, which in turn consumes more power.

4. Privacy Concerns
   Even if the translation runs locally, the feature’s architecture requires the AirPods to connect to Apple’s servers to download language models and to report errors. Analysts highlight that the earbuds may still send metadata about the conversation, such as duration, language pair, and error rates. A security researcher, using a packet‑capture tool, was able to see that the AirPods occasionally transmitted an encrypted payload labeled “TranslateData” whenever the user spoke. While the data is encrypted, the presence of any network traffic is a source of anxiety for privacy advocates.

5. Limited Language Support
   The translation engine currently supports only 30 languages, and certain regional dialects are omitted. This limits the feature’s usefulness for users who communicate in less common languages. The Apple Help Center lists the supported pairs, and a recent blog post confirmed that the company plans to add up to 20 more languages by the end of 2025.

6. Subscription Dependencies
   While the translation engine itself is free, users need an active iCloud storage subscription to keep the earbuds’ firmware and language models up to date. The article notes that users with older iCloud plans might miss automatic updates, leaving them stuck with older language models that perform poorly.

User Feedback and Market Response

Apple’s own support community has reported a mix of praise and frustration. A thread on the Apple Support Forum includes over 300 comments; roughly 70% of respondents complained about mistranslations, while 20% highlighted the feature’s potential in travel scenarios. One frequent complaint is the lack of a “skip” option that would let users bypass the translation entirely when it is no longer useful.

Tech reviewers from Engadget and The Verge echoed similar findings. In a hands‑on review, the Verge’s staff reported that the feature “felt rushed” and noted that the earbuds’ translation performance lagged behind competitor products, such as Google Pixel Buds, which offer a more robust, server‑based translation pipeline with higher accuracy at the expense of higher data usage.

A user study conducted by a university research group, published in Computers & Human Interaction, found that 45% of participants preferred to use separate translation apps (e.g., Google Translate or Microsoft Translator) over the AirPods’ built‑in feature because of accuracy and flexibility. The study also observed that users who relied on the earbuds for translation reported lower satisfaction with conversational clarity after extended use.

The Competitive Landscape

Apple’s move into translation is part of a broader trend where consumer electronics companies are embedding AI capabilities directly into their hardware. Google has offered a “Real‑time translation” feature on its Pixel Buds that relies on the cloud, boasting up to 100+ languages. Amazon’s Echo Buds also feature real‑time translation, but it is limited to English, Spanish, and a handful of other languages. Samsung’s Galaxy Buds, meanwhile, integrate a speech‑to‑speech translation service that works offline for a subset of languages.

Apple’s emphasis on privacy differentiates it from these competitors, but it also appears to compromise the translation accuracy that users have come to expect from more data‑driven services. The ongoing challenge for Apple will be to balance on‑device privacy with the computational demands of high‑quality translation.

What’s Next for AirPods Translation?

Apple has issued a brief statement acknowledging user feedback and announcing a forthcoming firmware update slated for Q1 2026. The update will reportedly expand language support to 45 pairs and introduce a “translation quality feedback” toggle that allows users to flag incorrect translations directly from the earbuds. Apple also plans to add a “pause” feature that temporarily halts translation when the user speaks in a language not supported by the current model.

Additionally, the company has begun a beta program for developers to create custom translation plugins, allowing third‑party neural‑network models to run on the earbuds. This could potentially improve accuracy while keeping the data local.

In the meantime, users who need reliable translation will likely continue to rely on established apps, while those who value privacy and hardware integration may experiment with the AirPods’ built‑in capability. The next update from Apple will be closely watched by both tech enthusiasts and privacy advocates to see whether the company can address the major downside highlighted by its early adopters.