Language translation earbuds are nothing new, but they have mostly focused on face-to-face conversations. Timekettle wants to go a step further. At IFA 2026, the company unveiled the W4 Plus AI Interpreter Earbuds, built to handle real conversations, phone calls, and even foreign-language shows without you touching your phone. Whether you are traveling, working, or watching online videos, these earbuds can act as your personal interpreter.
One pair of earbuds, four different ways to translate
Timekettle W4 Plus AI earbuds cover a lot of ground. For face-to-face chats, you and the other person each wear one earbud, and it translates in both directions in real time as you talk. There’s also Listen & Play mode for conferences or guided tours, saving and transcribing what you hear along the way.
Phone and video calls also get real-time interpretation across apps like Zoom, WhatsApp, and Telegram, and the person on the other end doesn’t need any app or extra device. You can even translate subtitles on YouTube or Netflix in sync with the video. Under the hood, Babel OS 3.0 supports 52 languages and 106 accents online, plus 13 language pairs offline, automatically switching between the two depending on your connection.
The AI features that make it smarter
W4 Plus earbuds come with other useful AI features too. For instance, you can select an industry profile, such as tech, manufacturing, biotech, and others, to improve accuracy during specialized conversations. Conversation memory keeps the terminology consistent across longer talks, while AI Live Summary turns saved chats into notes.
There’s even a speaking coach for practicing real scenarios, though it currently only supports English, Chinese, and Spanish. On the hardware side, an improved VoiceFocus system picks up quiet voices 32-47% better than the original W4.
You can buy these earbuds in two options: the $299 base model needs a $14.99 monthly subscription to unlock the full AI suite, while a $379 version includes everything upfront. Both options will be available on official website and Amazon September 6.
