If you’ve ever watched an episode of “Doctor Who” and thought the automatic translation performed by the doctor’s time machine was nifty, you could be able to get your hands on something similar soon, thanks to Apple.
With the expected release of Apple’s smart glasses next year, those who purchase the devices should look forward to translation services, according to reports released this week.
Bloomberg first reported on the expected smart glasses release. It said the glasses should be able to take phone calls, control music playback, offer directions and perform live translations.
Mashable also reported on live translation services offered by another tech giant – Google. Its report said that one of the major workspace announcements Google shared at its annual I/O event Tuesday was real-time speech translation through Google Meet for subscribers of its AI Premium plan.
“When a user on a Google Meet video call turns on this feature, an AI audio model uses their speech to live translate what they’re saying into another language,” Mashable explained. “Google is starting with English and Spanish, with more languages coming in the next few weeks.”
As for Apple, Bloomberg said it is aiming to release its smart glasses, a rival to Meta Platforms’ popular Ray Bans, at the end of next year. Apple also hopes the release will work as a push into AI-enhanced gadgets, the outlet said. However, the company has hit pause on another product, a smartwatch that can analyze its surroundings with a built-in camera.
This year, Apple is expected to begin making prototypes of the glasses. According to The Verge, the glasses are expected to come with cameras, microphones, and speakers that allow them to analyze the world around the wearer.
“Apple is actively working on new chips specifically designed for smart glasses,” said MacRumors.