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Yes, the Google Pixel Buds' coolest feature will work with the 2016 Pixel phones

By Preslav Kateliev

Updated: Oct 11, 2017, 9:10 AM

Accessories Google

So, one of the coolest things we saw at the Google Pixel event was the Pixel Buds' translate feature. It translates the conversation between two parties that speak different languages in real time and only needs two items to do so — a Pixel 2 phone and the Pixel Buds. When one person speaks through their device (the Pixel mic or the Buds' mic), the other one hears the Translate speech engine in their designated earpiece and vice versa.

So, ever since the presentation, we had two burning questions:

Will this Translate work on the 2016 Pixel phones?
Will this Translate work on other Android devices?

The answers are, respectively — yes, it will work on the OG Pixels and no, it won't work on other phones as it's a Pixel-exclusive feature. The Buds will work on Android 5+ devices and will pair with Google Assistant on Android 6+ devices, but no Translate unless you have a Pixel.

The live translate feature works with the Google Translate app and currently supports 40 languages, listed below.

Afrikaans	Arabic	Armenian	Bengali	Catalan	Chinese	Croatian	Czech
Danish	Dutch	English	Finnish	French	German	Greek	Hindi
Hungarian	Icelandic	Indonesian	Italian	Japanese	Khmer	Korean	Latvian
Nepali	Norwegian	Polish	Portuguese	Romanian	Russian	Serbian	Sinhala
Slovak	Spanish	Swahili	Swedish	Tamil	Thai	Turkish	Vietnamese

source: Google

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Preslav, a member of the PhoneArena team since 2014, is a mobile technology enthusiast with a penchant for integrating tech into his hobbies and work. Whether it's writing articles on an iPad Pro, recording band rehearsals with multiple phones, or exploring the potential of mobile gaming through services like GeForce Now and Steam Link, Preslav's approach is hands-on and innovative. His balanced perspective allows him to appreciate both Android and iOS ecosystems, focusing on performance, camera quality, and user experience over brand loyalty.

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