CUPERTINO (dpa-AFX) – Apple has brought its live translation function into line with European digital rules and will introduce it soon. After a delay of several months, the capability will initially be available to software developers. A public beta version will follow, as the iPhone company announced.
The feature was unveiled in June and rolled out in the US in September. However, Apple delayed the launch in the EU citing European digital laws. The group was particularly concerned about the requirement for interoperability, which requires that technical capabilities must also be available to other providers. The software supported languages such as German and French from the start – the function was just not available for users from the European Union.
The live translations work with newer models of Apple’s AirPods earbuds and iPhones. Sentences from conversation partners are translated for those wearing the earphones. If both people wear AirPods, a conversation is possible in their own language.
Crucial point with audio signals
According to Apple, the catch in the EU was the way the feature sends audio signals back and forth between the earbuds and the iPhone. For example, it is possible for a user to wear AirPods and the person they are talking to speaks into the connected iPhone and the translations are displayed on the screen. The software has simultaneous access to the speakers and microphone of both the iPhone and the earphones.
Apple emphasizes that the technical solution that ensures that the sound is routed between the devices must also be made available to competitors in accordance with the European digital law DMA (Digital Markets Act). Implementing this in a data protection-friendly manner took a few months. The result is that in the future, a headphone manufacturer, for example, will have the technical ability to simultaneously access the microphone and speakers of an iPhone.
The group points out that other functions may take longer. At the same time, Apple continues to criticize that the EU Commission’s “aggressive interpretation” of the DMA rules poses risks for users and is bad for innovation.
When using this function, the software does not automatically recognize the languages; instead, they must be selected in Apple’s in-house translation app. The translation runs by default on iPhones without access to computing power in the cloud./so/DP/he
