Google's promising $159 Pixel Buds are now shipping to customers, and they do something no other wireless earphones do.
The Pixel Buds offer instant access to Google assistant and offer 5 hours of battery life, but the most intriguing feature is real-time translation of 40 different languages. With the feature, you'll be able to speak to someone in a different language and rely on Google's Translate to help you get the job done. But as Google's own support page, and those who have tried out the feature, can attest, it'll take some legwork to make it happen.
Here's how to make Google's real-time translation work with Pixel Buds:
For one thing, you're going to need a first-generation Pixel or a Pixel 2 phone. All other handsets won't allow for the real-time translation Google offers with its own line of smartphones. Additionally, you'll need to have the Google Translate app running on your smartphone.
Now that you're ready with the correct hardware, you'll need to activate Google Assistant from the Pixel Buds by pressing the right earbud and saying, "OK, Google, help me speak" followed by the language of your choice. You'll notice on your phone that Google Translate is now up and ready to help you translate.
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If you're speaking English and the other person is speaking another language, you'll need to have that person speak into your Pixel or Pixel 2 phone. With Google Translate activated, the other person will speak through the Pixel phone in her or her language and you'll be talking through the earbuds. Along the way, Google Translate is translating what you're saying on the fly to each other.
The Google translation feature comes free, as well as Google Translate. But to get it up and running, you'll need to be living in Google's ecosystem.
