Chinese AI Earbuds Deliver Superb Translation

Timekettle has launched AI-powered earbuds for seamless Chinese translation.

Image credits: Timekettle

A new set of earphones featuring smart technology for everyday use was just released by Timekettle, a Chinese device company that specializes in AI-powered translation devices.

Better translation results from the W4 interpreter earphones' use of bone conduction, which uses the vibrations of your face's bones to pick up your voice for more precise speech recognition. According to the business, this gets rid of background noise even in noisy places like conference rooms and airports.

This is combined with Timekettle's Babel OS software, which supposedly has a lag of only 0.2 seconds and operates in the background to translate speech between 42 languages and 95 accents in real time.

The company claims that their new translation engine, which use massive language models to understand the context of your interactions and fix perplexing homophones (words that sound same but have distinct meanings, like "right" and "write"), surpasses Babel's 98% accuracy, reports New Atlas.

How to use these translator earphones

The W4 can be used in two ways. You can wear one earphone each and set your accents and spoken languages in the companion app's One-on-One mode while speaking face-to-face with someone whose language you don't understand. As you speak in real time through your own buds, you will both receive simultaneous translation.

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When you plan to use both buds alone, such as during a private meeting with a group of clients, you should utilize the Listen and Play option. The software will stream your clients' translated speech to your headphones if you wear both earbuds and put your phone close to the person speaking the other language. All of your words will be translated into their language in the meantime, shown on the screen, and played out loud to them from your phone.

Additionally, the program will summarize and store the transcriptions of your translated meetings. It also provides downloaded language packs for offline speech translation. Of course, the W4 buds may also be used as standard wireless buds if all you want to do is listen to music, podcasts, or other content.

The W4 buds weigh a modest 4 oz (116.5 g) and have a striking rectangular container that comes in two finishes. A one-hour charge of the buds should provide you with almost three hours of translation; the case juices up in only one and a half hours and can recharge the buds roughly four times.

The buds themselves resemble the Apple AirPods 4 more than the AirPods 2 Pro because of their open tip design, which does not have silicone tips. Ear hooks for narrow canals and silicone grips for wide canals are included in the package.

The price tag for the W4 is $350, with a smaller feature set. They're available via the company's site and on Amazon.

Sam Draper
September 22, 2025

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