We put Google's new language-translation headphones to the test with 10 different languages - here's how they did
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Google's new Pixel Buds can work with Google Assistant on a phone to translate 40 different languages, and Google plans to add more to that list. We put the earbuds to the test with 10 languages: Spanish, French, Malay, Greek, German, Portuguese, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin, and Polish.
Overall, the headphones performed well. They couldn't really handle multiple sentences in a row, or long, complicated sentences, but for well-enunciated basic phrases and questions, it was spot-on. The translation takes a few seconds to work, so there's an awkward pause when you're using the earbuds to have a conversation with another person.
We also found that the translation was more accurate when the headphones translated from another language to English, but not as well for English into other languages.
So, there's room for improvement, but as they are now, they work well for simple communication and are, at the very least, highly entertaining.