In a recent announcement, Apple unveiled a series of exciting new products, including the much-anticipated new AirPods that come equipped with a groundbreaking feature: real-time translation directly through the earbuds. However, this innovative functionality will not be available to users in Europe, much to their disappointment.
The newly introduced AirPods enable users to experience real-time translation, a feature that works seamlessly with earbuds paired to iPhones equipped with Apple Intelligence, the company’s proprietary AI technology. Unfortunately, European users will find that this feature is inaccessible to them. An official Apple support page clearly states, “Live translation with AirPods is not available if you are in the EU and your Apple account country or region is also in the EU.”
The restriction on the live translation feature for European users stems from Apple’s interpretation of its responsibilities under the EU’s Digital Markets Act. This regulatory framework mandates that certain functionalities must be made interoperable with competing devices. A decision by the European Commission in March further solidified these requirements, prompting Apple to limit the rollout of specific services, including its AI capabilities.
Apple executives have previously expressed concerns regarding the European regulatory landscape, suggesting that the company may restrict the deployment of services like Apple Intelligence to comply with EU regulations. This has raised questions about the company’s ability to innovate freely in a market that demands interoperability with other devices.
The live translation feature currently supports several languages, including English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Apple has plans to expand this functionality to include Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese by the end of the year, but European users will still be left out of this exciting update.
In light of these developments, POLITICO reached out to the European Commission for a comment regarding Apple’s decision to exclude European users from the new AirPods feature. As the situation evolves, it remains to be seen how these regulatory challenges will impact the future of technology and innovation in Europe.
