Your earbuds just got smarter, but only with the right phone in your pocket.
Samsung Electronics has announced an update for its Galaxy Buds series, particularly the Galaxy Buds2 Pro, Galaxy Buds2, and Galaxy Buds FE. This brings the Galaxy AI features, such as Live Translate, previously launched on the Galaxy S24 series, into the earbuds.
It will be delivered to the three models via an over-the-air (OTA) firmware update.
Galaxy AI Features on Galaxy Buds
The rollout introduces a suite of AI features to Samsung’s earbuds, with Live Translate as a highlight.
This feature allows for real-time translation during phone calls and provides a seamless two-way interpretation through the Galaxy Buds interface. Users can converse in their native languages into the Buds’ mic. Then, the AI will seamlessly translate and transcribe the dialogue in real time.
This ensures that each participant can follow the conversation in their chosen language, displayed both audibly and visually on the Galaxy S24’s screen.
A practical application of the Live Translate feature is when a user, speaking English, is on a call with a Spanish-speaking colleague.
Through the Galaxy Buds, the English speech is translated into Spanish and vice versa. This allows both parties to converse fluidly and understand each other without language barriers.
The Catch
Samsung’s rollout of Galaxy AI features to the Galaxy Buds series comes with a caveat: these features require a Galaxy S24 series smartphone to function. This requirement narrows the pool of users who can access these innovative features to those with the newest Samsung phones.
Moreover, the Live Translate feature is designed exclusively for use during phone calls. Unfortunately, it does not extend to face-to-face interactions.
For translating in-person conversations, Galaxy Buds users must turn to the Galaxy S24’s Interpreter app, a separate feature tailored for live, bidirectional communication.
The AI Trend in Wireless Headphones
Samsung’s integration of AI features into the Galaxy Buds series is just the beginning of a broader trend of AI capabilities being embedded into wearable technology.
Google is also on the path to enhancing its wearable offerings with AI. It has been rumored to integrate features from its Gemini AI model into headphones compatible with Google Assistant, such as the Google Pixel Buds Pro.
Even though this news about Google came from hidden code in their app and not an official announcement, it shows they’re serious about making their gadgets smarter with AI. And Google is known for quickly bringing out new AI stuff, like Google One AI Premium, so they’re likely to catch up fast.
Apple is also planning to jump on the AI bandwagon with their next big update, iOS 18. Even though we don’t know all the details yet, it’s expected to make iPhones much smarter with AI features. One thing we might see is a smarter Siri that can do more things when you talk to it.