AirPods Live Translation: UK Availability, EU Restriction
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.
Apple has a history of shaping technology interaction, from the Macintosh to the iPhone and iPod, and more recently the M-series processors.
What does this reveal about the growing gap between technical capability and legal deployment, and what should product teams learn from it?
Author's summary: AirPods 3 translation feature blocked in EU.