Google Is Rolling Out Live Translation Feature

With the upcoming Pixel 6, you’ll be able to translate messages and captions written in foreign languages with the phone camera. Offline.

At least, from what we know, Pixel 6 and Pixel Pro will be able to pull off live translation while being offline. This almost “alien” technology is possible because Live Translate will be literally packed inside their chipsets.

As it turns out, the Live Translate feature can interpret:

• Text messages.
• Anything written in a foreign language that your camera sees: signposts, billboards, labels, and so on.

But it seems, you’ll have to update the language library yourself. Each language needs to be downloaded separately with your cellular data. And the size can vary, starting at 50 megabytes.

At least, you’ll be able to employ the feature even if there’s no Wi-Fi nearby, or you’ve completely run out of traffic to spare. You can activate it in the System tab, under the Settings.

Live Translate is capable of automatically detecting and translating messages and even entire chats written in other languages.

Translating stuff with your camera viewfinder also promises to be easy. It seems that it’ll be nested in the Camera app. Powered by AI, it’ll be able to detect a foreign text promptly and suggest that it should be interpreted.

What about other Android gizmos? Well, Live Translate appears to be exclusively tied to the Tensor chip — the 8-core, five-nanometer, ARM-powered “brain” of the upcoming gadget. 

So, enabling this handy feature on the older Pixel phones, let alone other Android gadgets, is practically a no-no.   

The Pixel 6 phone is expected to premiere sometime this fall. Would you buy this phone merely for the sake of Live Translate? Do you think it’ll make a nice travel companion? Let us know in the comments!