Google's Pixel Buds are no match for professional interpreters
Google's Pixel Buds may not be as sleek and convenient as AirPods, but they do have one feature Apple's wireless earbuds don't: real-time language translation.
But just how good are the Pixel Buds' translations features compared to professional interpreters who have translated for UN conferences?
We brought in conference interpreters Lana Ayad and Marina Ivanova to have them judge the accuracy of the Pixel Buds' real-time translations in three languages -- Arabic, French, and Russian -- and the results weren't exactly reassuring.
Connected to Google Translate running on a Pixel 2 XL, the Pixel Buds were able to translate simple general conversational phrases quickly and accurately, impressing even the interpreters at times.
But as expected, it had trouble understanding certain words and their context within sentences. Google Translate tends to be more literal with its translations, at least with the three languages we tested the Pixel Buds with.
Professional conference interpreters can translate 5x faster than Google Translate.
In one of the more hilarious screw ups, Google translated "I want to eat salad" from Arabic into "I want to eat power" in English.
Anyone who's ever used Google Translate online or through the app will know that its translations can help you get by if you don't speak the local language in a foreign country or for loose translations of text.
But it's no replacement for human translators. Languages are too intricate and there are too many sounds that could potentially throw off the machines.
Ayad and Ivanova both agreed that Pixel Buds and Google Translate are convenient technologies, but there's still the friction of holding out a Pixel phone for the other person to talk into. And despite the Pixel Buds' somewhat speedy translations, they both said it doesn't compare to a professional conference interpreters, who can translate at least five times faster Google's cloud.
On a scale of 1-10, Ayad said she would give Google a failing grade for its Arabic translations, rating it a 4. Ivanova gave Google a 6 for its French and Russian translations.
Ouch.
Humans: 1, Google: 0.
Raymond Wong is Mashable's Senior Tech Correspondent. He reviews gadgets and tech toys and analyzes the tech industry. Raymond's also a bit of a camera geek, gamer, and fine chocolate lover. Before arriving at Mashable, he was the Deputy Editor of NBC Universal's tech publication DVICE. His writing has appeared on G4TV, BGR, Yahoo and Ubergizmo, to name a few. You can follow Raymond on Twitter @raywongy or Instagram @sourlemons.
