For decades, fictional universal translators have appeared in shows like "Star Trek" and novels such as "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" – devices capable of seamlessly converting any language into English and vice versa.

Today, these once science-fiction-only gadgets are approaching reality.

During Tuesday's iPhone launch event, Apple presented a video showcasing a scenario many travelers dream of: an English-speaking tourist purchasing flowers in an unnamed Spanish-speaking country. The flower shop owner communicates in Spanish with the tourist, but the visitor hears clear, coherent English.

"All red carnations are half price today," the tourist heard in English through earphones, almost synchronized with the shopkeeper's speech.

This video served as marketing material for Apple's latest AirPods Pro 3, but such functionality isn't exclusive to Apple – tech companies including Alphabet and Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook and Instagram, are also launching similar capabilities.

The emergence of OpenAI's ChatGPT in late 2022 sparked technological advances, ushering in the generative artificial intelligence era. Nearly three years later, these technological breakthroughs are giving birth to real-time language translators.

For Apple, "Live Translation" represents the core selling point of the AirPods Pro 3 announced Tuesday. These new $250 earphones will go on sale next week, and through the "Live Translation" feature, users can instantly hear French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish translated into English. Next Monday, the "Live Translation" function will also be pushed to AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 through updates.

When two people both wear AirPods during conversation, dialogue can be simultaneously translated bidirectionally in both sets of earphones. In Apple's video demonstration, two people appear to communicate directly using different languages.

According to Apple's support page information, the "Live Translation" feature will not initially launch in EU regions.

Analysts are excited about this functionality, viewing it as potentially marking a step forward in Apple's AI strategy. This translation feature requires pairing with sufficiently new iPhone models to run Apple's artificial intelligence software suite "Apple Intelligence."

"If we can truly use AirPods for real-time translation, this feature would indeed drive people to upgrade their devices," said DA Davidson analyst Gil Luria on Wednesday.

As artificial intelligence develops and translation speeds match human speech pace, the translation field is becoming a key battleground in the tech industry.

But Apple isn't fighting alone.

**Competitive Market Landscape**

Over the past year, Alphabet and Meta have also released hardware products with real-time translation capabilities.

Alphabet's Pixel 10 phone features functionality that can translate speakers' content into listeners' languages during calls. This feature, called "Voice Translation," aims to preserve speakers' vocal tones. Next Monday, "Voice Translation" will be pushed to user phones through software updates.

In Alphabet's August live demonstration, "Voice Translation" translated comedian Jimmy Fallon's words into Spanish, and it indeed sounded like the comedian's voice. Apple's feature doesn't attempt to mimic users' voices.

Meanwhile, Meta announced in May that its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses can translate foreign languages spoken by others through device speakers, while the other party in conversation can see transcribed translation responses on the user's phone.

Meta will hold its own product launch event Wednesday, expected to unveil next-generation smart glasses featuring small displays on one lens. It remains unclear whether Meta will announce additional translation features.

Additionally, OpenAI demonstrated ChatGPT's intelligent voice assistant mode in June, which includes fluent translation functionality among its many capabilities. ChatGPT has integrated with Apple's Siri but doesn't yet support voice mode. In coming years, OpenAI plans to collaborate with former Apple design chief Jony Ive on new hardware products.

The rise of real-time translation technology could also reshape entire industries. A Microsoft Research study published in August found that translators and interpreters face the greatest AI threat among all professions, with 98% of translation work overlapping with AI-completable tasks.

**Purpose-Built Translation Devices**

Over recent years, multiple purpose-built translation devices have entered the market. These devices leverage global high-speed cellular network services and continuously improving online translation services, launching puck-shaped devices or earphones with built-in translation functions, priced around several hundred dollars.

"What I appreciate about what Apple has done is it really highlights the urgency of this issue," said Joe Miller, U.S. general manager of Japan's Pocketalk company. The company produces $299 translation devices that can switch between two people conversing in different languages, translating their conversations in both audio and text formats.

According to Canalys data, Apple's massive scale saw it ship approximately 18 million wireless earphones in the first quarter alone. Apple's entry into this market will expose broader user groups to translation technology advances in recent years.

Despite Apple's market entry, manufacturers of purpose-built translation devices say their focus on translation accuracy and linguistic knowledge will make their translations superior to free translation functions provided on new phones.

"We actually employ linguists," said Alexander Alsky, head of U.S. and Canada operations for Poland's Vasco Electronics. The company is launching translation earphones that can mimic users' voices, similar to Alphabet's functionality. "We combine artificial intelligence with human input, and because of this, we're able to ensure higher accuracy across all languages we provide."

There's also home-field advantage. Vasco Electronics' largest market is Europe, while Apple's website states its "Live Translation" feature is temporarily unavailable to EU users.

Some products launched by tech companies aren't truly "universal," currently supporting only a few languages. Apple's feature supports just 5 languages, while Pocketalk supports 95.

Pocketalk's Miller believes this technology's potential extends far beyond tourists ordering wine in France. He states the technology is most powerful in workplaces like schools and hospitals, venues requiring privacy and security features beyond what Apple and Alphabet can provide.

"This isn't about luxury travel," Miller said. "This is about the intersection of language and communication barriers, about conversations that must happen."