The real-time translation capabilities of the Pixel Buds will work with the original Pixel devices, Google confirmed on its newly launched help page for the upcoming pair of wireless earbuds. The device was originally announced last Wednesday alongside the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, with the Alphabet-owned company describing it as the ultimate audio companion for the two flagships that ship without a 3.5mm audio jack and showcasing its ability to conduct translations in real time as one of its main selling points. The tech giant specifically announced the functionality that’s powered by its Google Translate framework as a Pixel-series exclusive but didn’t clarify whether the original Pixel and Pixel XL will support it during its San Francisco event last week.
The question that many consumers and journalists have recently been asking has now been answered, with the Mountain View, California-based tech giant also confirming that the Google Translate Android app is another requirement for using real-time translation functionality of the Pixel Buds. It’s presently unclear whether the latest stable build of Google Translate already has all of the necessary assets for allowing the service to function, though that seems like a probable scenario, with the upcoming earbuds being just several weeks away from their official release. The Pixel Buds help page also confirms that support for Google Translate is a Pixel exclusive and it remains unclear whether Google has any plans on bringing it to other Android devices in the future. The Google Assistant also debuted as a Pixel exclusive and had its availability expanded after around five months, with the Google Lens app being expected to follow a similar launch pattern, though the internet giant has yet to confirm or even just suggest that the Pixel Buds’ translation service will do the same.
The Pixel Buds are priced at $159 and are charged wirelessly while resting in their case, with the device being set for an official release at some point in November, shortly after the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL hit the market. Google Translate-powered live translations will support 40 languages when the earbuds become available for purchase and will presumably have their capabilities expanded going forward.