Google unveils Pixel Buds – wireless earbuds capable of live voice translation
Google took advantage of the launch of the new Pixel 2 handset to announce its new Pixel Buds wireless headphones.
The company’s answer to Apple’s AirPods are designed specifically for use with the Pixel 2 and, when paired with the smartphone, users can tap the right earpiece to ask the Google Assistant to play music, provide directions, make a phone call and have a notification read out loud.
The Pixel Buds have a fabric loop connecting the left and right side and come in a cloth-covered case that can also charge them when they’re low on battery. The company claimed up to 24 hours of listening time.
Most strikingly, the new earbuds can also translate between languages in real time using Google Translate on Pixel. Users simply need to hold down on the right earbud and say “help me speak Italian” and speak a phrase to have the translation played out loud by the phone’s speaker. When the person they’re speaking to responds in Italian, the translation will be heard through the Pixel Buds. Some 40 different languages are currently available.
Pixel Buds come in black, white and blue to match the Pixel 2 and will be available in November in the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, Australia and Singapore at an RRP of USD 159.
