Apple’s new AirPods Pro 3 have made headlines with a flashy Live Translation feature, promising to break down language barriers with the press of a stem. But here’s the surprise twist: you don’t actually need the new earbuds to experience this translation magic.

This highly-touted feature is also set to arrive on AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 via a software update, though there’s a crucial catch. The on-the-go translation isn’t powered by the AirPods themselves; it’s a showcase for the capabilities of Apple Intelligence. To make the feature work, your AirPods must be connected to an iPhone 15 Pro or a newer model running iOS 26. This means that even with the new AirPods Pro 3, the real engine of this conversational tool is your iPhone’s powerful neural processor.

At launch, the feature will be available in a handful of languages, including English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Apple has committed to expanding the list later this year to include Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese.

The system is designed for a one-sided conversation. You activate a special mode by pressing on the AirPods’ stems. Your microphones listen to the foreign language, and the iPhone translates it for you, playing the response directly into your ears. For your end of the conversation, you can use your iPhone’s display to show a real-time transcript of your translated speech to the other person, creating a seamless, albeit asymmetric, communication loop.

This strategic move by Apple highlights the central role of Apple Intelligence across its ecosystem, providing a compelling reason for customers to upgrade their iPhones rather than just their headphones.