Traveler tests Apple AirPods Live Translation in Tokyo

A non-Japanese-speaking first-time visitor tested Apple’s Live Translation feature in Tokyo, using AirPods during a Buddhist fire ritual, sushi classes, crowded markets and bars and said the earbuds helped them understand much of a priest’s closing remarks. Apple introduced Live Translation to deliver real-time translation through AirPods for languages including Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish, the visitor noted.

Under quiet, one-on-one conditions the system performed well and felt natural; listening was easier than speaking because responses appear on the phone screen and must be read aloud or shown to the other person. The tester often wore a single AirPod, printed cards in Japanese to explain the device and found many locals already familiar with translation apps.

If both people wear AirPods, the feature can transmit each speaker’s words to the other, but the tester did not encounter anyone else using the same technology. The visitor reported mixed results in noisy or crowded settings: the technology struggled at busy train stations and lively izakayas, picked up bystanders’ conversations at a ramen festival, and produced minor errors during a sushi-making class and a seafood tour, including a few incorrect pronouns and mistakes related to seafood terminology.

Key Topics

Tech, Apple, Airpods, Tokyo, Live Translation, Translate App