Regulation limits access in Europe.
By Robin Mitchell, 13-10-2025
Apple’s latest update to the AirPods 3 introduces real-time translation, an impressive blend of on-device signal processing and cloud-based AI.
However, while the feature works in the UK, it’s blocked in the EU due to regulatory barriers.
This reveals a growing gap between technical capability and legal deployment, and raises important questions for product teams.
Apple has a long history of shaping how we interact with technology, from the early Macintosh to the iPhone and iPod, and more recently the M-series processors.
Apple transformed personal computing and operating systems, redefined portable devices and media consumption, and shifted expectations for desktop performance.
Author's summary: AirPods 3 introduces real-time translation.