Apple is reportedly venturing into live translation with their AirPods, anticipating an AirPods software upgrade linked to the new iOS 19. The update, due later this year, is expected to allow users to have their in-person conversations translated in real-time, a function that sources informed East Bay Times. The Cupertino giant, remaining tight-lipped, declined to comment on the matter.

The addition garners interest as Apple's competitors, including Google's Pixel Buds, have incorporated such a feature since 2017. Apple is a step behind but is no stranger to expanding the utility of their devices through software enhancements, as previous updates have shown, such as last year's hearing health features added to the second-generation AirPods Pro. The AirPods upgrade aims to elevate the user experience by combining language barriers with devices acting as interpreters reminiscent of science fiction's universal translators.

According to a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, as per The Verge, the live translation feature will facilitate a two-way conversation with each participant speaking their native language. An English-Spanish exchange, for instance, would have the Spanish spoken words stream through an English speaker's AirPods in English, while the iPhone would play out the English speaker's response in Spanish. This conversational relay aims to be seamless, albeit Apple has not commented on the specifics of the implementation.