Apple's Live Translation feature, launched in September 2025, has been tested by Which? and found to be generally accurate, though with some grammatical inconsistencies. The feature allows AirPods users to translate conversations in real-time directly through their earbuds.
Tests conducted with four bilingual speakers revealed that while the translation was mostly understandable, issues such as grammatical errors and difficulty distinguishing between the speaker's voice and Siri's translation were noted. For example, in Italian, names like 'British Airways' were mistranslated, and in Spanish, grammar was often incorrect due to word-for-word translation.
The feature supports nine languages, including English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish, as well as Chinese Mandarin (traditional and simplified). It is compatible with AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Max, and AirPods 3, and requires an iPhone 15 Pro or later running at least iOS 26.0 with Apple Intelligence enabled.
Ruby Gordon, senior scientific advisor at Which?, noted that the slight delay in in-ear translation made natural conversation difficult, and the simultaneous voices were distracting. While useful for travel, Which? does not recommend upgrading headphones or phones specifically for this feature.