Your AirPods Are About to Become the Ultimate Travel Companion
Apple's AirPods are getting smarter in iOS 26, and if you're traveling abroad anytime soon, they could well make the trip a whole lot easier.
Imagery has been discovered in the iOS 26 beta of AirPods displaying "Hello" in multiple languages, tucked away in the Translate app files. The image suggests activation through a press gesture, and the file is literally named "Translate." It's pretty clear what Apple has in mind.
Prior to Apple's preview of iOS 26 and the release of the beta versions, Bloomberg reported that Apple was working on live translation features for AirPods. The functionality should transform your earbuds into personal interpreters, breaking down language barriers in real-time conversations.
Here's how it might work. If you're talking to someone who speaks Spanish, your iPhone will detect the audio, translate their speech, and relay it back to you in English through your AirPods. You can then respond in English, and your iPhone will translate your response to Spanish and speak it aloud.
Apple's iPhone Translate app can already handle conversations like this, but having the function built into AirPods will streamline the entire exchange. Existing Live Translation features are linked to Apple Intelligence, which means the AirPods feature could also require an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence. Early beta code suggests AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 will be supported.
The functionality builds on iOS 26's existing live translation capabilities for Phone, Messages, and FaceTime calls. If it doesn't arrive in September when iOS 26 drops, expect it in another update sometime later this year.
Popular Stories
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie.
"Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
