Apple wants you to believe that the future of travel is neatly arranged inside your Airpods. exist Apple’s “Awe” campaign On September 9, the tech giant announced AirPods Pro 3introduce a series of functions Heart rate sensing“The Best in the World” Active Noise Cancellation and Headlines Live translationThis feature allows you to hear another language immediately in real time.
On paper, this sounds amazing. In practice, some of the feelings about it… are lost.
There is a strange disdain when talking to someone while speaking only your native language and taking your phone to someone to read. Maybe it’s a slick but ruthless marketing video, but the whole communication bothers me. It looks like a high-tech way to keep distance, rather than a connection and “bridge culture.”
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This is not the first time Apple is trying to rebrand Airpods as “social accessories” rather than the little white shield we put between ourselves and everyone else in the world. Last year, the company promoted hearing aid functionality as a proof that AirPods can help you “hear the world better.” This year, “Heard the World Translation”.
But the subtext is the same. Apple sometimes has to pop Airpods in your ears. It expects them to be socially accepted in every situation, and even people who often need real human participation.
This raises a bigger question for me: Isn’t this the opposite reason for our travel?
Not the point of exploration – or just human interaction – the point of discomfort and growth? Mistakes, smiles when someone corrects your accent, awkward communication dance, smiles. All these moments force a stronger connection between cultural boundaries. On-site translation ruined this. It turns the messy beauty of human interaction into a sterile frictionless transaction.
It’s not immersive, but handed you to bypass the language filter.
Look, there are some advantages of the translation function. Accessibility for travelers with language barriers is enormous, especially in emergencies or medical settings. But Apple’s marketing has made concealment in terms of trade-offs.
It’s not just about getting to know each other. It’s about losing when we outsource the struggle and profound power of interaction with other cultures to a pair of earplugs. The future of travel will never leave your comfort zone.
Live translation will be praised as futuristic… In some ways, that’s it. But I can’t waver, it doesn’t bridge the culture, but risk building a bubble. In that bubble, only your language can speak.
