Beyond basic applications such as generative photo or video creation and text editing, artificial intelligence is beginning to help in real-world situations. Live translation features, which remove language barriers in real time, are particularly popular.
There have been features in smartphones, earbuds, and even smart glasses. To be honest, the concept of live translation is not new, but it will gain traction in 2025 as support and performance improve. Apple recently highlighted Live Translate as a feature of its new AirPods Pro 3, and a similar feature that used Google Translate was already available on the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2.
So, which version of live translate is better: Google's or Apple's? While neither is perfect, here are the key differences between them—and which one we prefer.
Differences between Apple's and Google's live translation features
Live Translate is marketed as a unique earbud feature for 2025, but the work is still done on your smartphone. To use Apple's live translation with a supported pair of AirPods, you must have an iPhone 15 Pro or newer running iOS 26 or later. While this may appear to be an arbitrary cutoff, an iPhone 15 Pro is required because live translation relies on Apple Intelligence, which is not available on the base iPhone 15 or older models.
This also means that Android users with AirPods for wireless audio (yes, they exist) will be unable to use Apple's live translation features. In comparison, Google's equivalent is far more forgiving. You only need an Android phone running Android 6 or later to use live translation with a pair of Google Pixel Buds.
This includes all Google Pixel phones, as well as a large number of Android phones from other manufacturers that meet the version requirement. You can use Google Pixel Buds with a Samsung or OnePlus phone while still using Google's live translation feature, for example. You simply need to ensure that your phone has the most recent versions of the Google and Google Translate apps installed, as both are required for live translation.
Both the Apple and Google live translate implementations use off-device processing by default, so an internet connection is required. Languages can be downloaded for offline translation using the Settings app on iOS and the Google Translate app on Android.
Apple also has a "on-device mode" that always uses offline, on-device processing for translations. However, it should be noted that this mode only applies to the Apple Translate app, which is used to translate AirPods. IPhone users who use Siri or Safari to translate will always have their translations processed in the cloud.
The method for triggering live translation on Pixel Buds and AirPods is also slightly different. The preferred method of using Live Translate with Google Pixel Buds appears to be to open Google Translate on your phone and tap Conversation mode. Alternatively, you can use Google Assistant to initiate live translation by saying something like "Hey Google, help me speak [language]."
There is no way to use Conversation mode hands-free without using Google Assistant; otherwise, you will need to use the Translate app on your Android device. Apple's implementation varies slightly. You can use Siri for translation, but the best way is to hold down both AirPod stems to activate live translation.
Do you need the most recent AirPods or Pixel Buds to use them?
Both Apple and Google provide excellent support for live translation features, even on older devices. However, Google clearly provides an advantage. It has been shipping real-time translation on earbuds since 2017, starting with the first pair of Google Pixel Buds. The feature has since been added to every pair released, ranging from the high-end Pixel Buds Pro 2 to the more affordable Pixel Buds A-series and the new Pixel Buds 2a.
Apple's feature is currently listed as a beta release, so it will not be perfect. It was announced alongside the AirPods Pro 3, but it will also be available as a software update for the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 with ANC.
So, if you have a new enough pair of Apple or Google earbuds, you should be able to use live translation.
The aforementioned differences between calling up live translation on AirPods and Google Pixel Buds have the greatest impact on the experience. It's nice to be able to approach someone who doesn't speak your language, grasp both stems, and begin hearing a translated version of their speech in your ears. When using supported AirPods and an iPhone, no voice commands or smartphone taps are required, which is ideal.
In comparison, using clunky voice commands or having to pull out your phone to use Conversation mode with live translation on a pair of Google Pixel Buds can be inconvenient. Certainly not a dealbreaker, but it is a minor inconvenience.
In terms of quality, we still have a long way to go before we can converse naturally with others in different languages. The live translation features on both Apple and Google earbuds have a noticeable delay — currently required for processing and wireless transmission — which may disrupt the flow of a conversation.
In addition, it is not uncommon for either feature to completely miss a sentence or phrase. All it takes is someone speaking too quickly, a noisy environment, or an unfamiliar dialect to throw Apple Translate or Google Translate off guard. However, using AirPods or Pixel Buds for live translation is much easier than flipping through a language phrasebook or guide.
Like almost everything that uses AI these days: when it works, it's magical, but you can't rely on it.
