Against the backdrop of increasingly fierce competition in the Asia Vets headphone market, $Apple (AAPL.US)$ is preparing to inject new vitality into its AirPods series products, accelerating its AI strategy layout.

On March 13, local time, Bloomberg reported that Apple plans to add a revolutionary feature—real-time translation of conversations—to the upcoming iOS 19 operating system for AirPods, which will greatly enhance user experience in cross-language communication scenarios.

This feature will be based on Apple's Siri voice assistant and machine learning technology, capable of recognizing multiple languages and performing instant conversions.

However, it is not yet clear which languages this feature will support, and whether it requires the latest generation of AirPods hardware to function.

Recently, the $9.99 Chinese translation headphones on TikTok have been selling like crazy. Zhang Zejie, the head of NebulaBuds, which provides app solutions for Bluetooth headphones including translation and AI assistant, stated that one of his Bluetooth headphone clients has a monthly sales volume of around 2 million yuan on TikTok, and after integrating the AI assistant and translation features into the headphone's app, the monthly sales volume skyrocketed to 8 million yuan.

Apple's AI strategy upgrade.

Analysts believe that, compared to competitors like Google and $Microsoft (MSFT.US)$In the aggressive advancement of generative AI, Apple has adopted a more cautious yet robust strategy, deeply integrating AI technology with its own Hardware ecosystem.

In addition to the translation function of AirPods, iOS 19 is expected to include other AI-enhanced features, such as an improved Siri voice assistant, smarter photo editing tools, and augmented reality capabilities.

Market research institutions predict that with the addition of such features, Apple’s share in the Global wearable device market may further increase. Especially in highly internationalized markets like China, the demand for language translation is strong, and this feature may be welcomed by business people and international travelers.

Differentiated competition from competitors.

It is worth noting that Google launched the Pixel Buds headphones as early as 2017, providing real-time translation features, but due to limitations in hardware performance and ecosystem integration, the user experience was not ideal. Apple's advantage lies in its closed-loop ecosystem and strong hardware control capabilities, which are expected to offer a smoother and more accurate translation experience.

Analysts believe that although Apple’s entry into this field is not early, it has the potential to redefine the standards for smart headphones and drive the entire Industry towards a more intelligent direction, thanks to its strong brand influence and technological integration capabilities.

Editor/Rocky