Live Translation Isn't Just For Airpods Pro 3 - Check If Yours Are Compatible

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Live Translation translates a speech done your AirPods.
• It's disposable pinch AirPods Pro 3, Pro 2, and AirPods 4 pinch ANC.
• It requires iOS 26 and an iPhone pinch Apple Intelligence.

One breathtaking characteristic that Apple touted astatine its iPhone 17 event connected Sept. 9 was unrecorded translator for nan caller AirPods Pro 3. With this skill, you tin perceive words successful different connection translated into your ain autochthonal lingua straight done your AirPods. If nan different personification besides has nan correct AirPods and a compatible iPhone, you tin some transportation connected a speech hands-free. Otherwise, your ain words popular up connected your iPhone, translated into nan different connection for nan different personification to spot and hear.

Also: Apple iPhone 17 arena recap: Reactions to iPhone Air, Apple Watches, AirPods Pro 3, more

It sounds for illustration a existent game-changer. Since my woman and I for illustration to recreation overseas a mates of times a year, I'm looking guardant to trying retired Live Translation nan adjacent clip we're successful a overseas country. But for this to work, I person to meet a fewer requirements.

1. I request an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence. I've sewage an iPhone 16 Pro. Check.
2. I'll request to beryllium moving iOS 26. With nan caller OS group to get adjacent Monday, I'll soon beryllium capable to upgrade my phone. Check.
3. I presume I request nan caller AirPods Pro 3, arsenic Apple appeared to indicate. I do scheme to bargain them, truthful that useful out. Check.

But wait. At its iPhone 17 event, Apple made it look arsenic if you request nan AirPods Pro 3. The keynote surely didn't mention compatibility pinch different AirPods. So I interpreted that to mean that nan latest Pro exemplary is required. And I person a hunch a batch of different group did arsenic well.

Which AirPods are compatible pinch Live Translation

The page for nan AirPods Pro 3 features a footnote that reveals Live Translation besides useful connected AirPods 4 pinch Active Noise Cancellation and AirPods Pro 2 and later pinch nan latest firmware erstwhile paired pinch an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone moving iOS 26 and later. Further, Apple's AirPods comparison page shows unrecorded translator accessible pinch nan AirPod Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2, and nan AirPods 4 pinch ANC.

Also: Did nan AirPods Pro conscionable make nan Apple Watch obsolete? This caller characteristic tells maine yes

I still scheme to bargain nan AirPods Pro 3 for its different unsocial features, including improved Active Noise Cancellation, amended in-ear fit, bosom complaint sensor, and extended artillery life. I've besides been craving an other brace of AirPods truthful I tin return them pinch maine to nan gym and different places. But acknowledgment to a useful footnote and comparison page, it's adjuvant to cognize that I do person different options if I want to converse pinch different personification via Live Translation.

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