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Following in the footsteps of those live-translating earbuds you see on social media, T-Mobile is dropping its own Live Translation service. Yes, really, you can soon have all of your foreign language phone conversations translated in real-time into your primary language.
How does it work?
According to the official T-Mobile page, all you have to do is sign up for a chance to be a part of the beta program, call anyone from a T-Mobile phone, press *87* on your keypad, and have a conversation as you would with anyone who speaks your language.
The service will then automatically translate anything the other person says and vice versa. According to the article, “Live Translation works anywhere you have T‑Mobile 4G or 5G voice coverage, including international roaming in 100+ countries where 4G or 5G coverage is available.”
The service will support over 50 languages (including Romanian, my native tongue), and more will presumably be added once it leaves beta. After the beta testing is over, you will have the option to add the service to your lines for an unmentioned cost.
Final thoughts
As someone with parents who don’t speak the best English, a service like this is invaluable. Ever since we moved to the U.S. in 2009, I’ve been the primary caller for anything from insurance claims to hospital visits to our first house purchase. If T-Mobile can keep it at a reasonable price tag, which I would argue is around $10/month or less, I can absolutely see its value.
On the flip side, this is equally invaluable for businesses with international clients who use T-Mobile as their primary provider. If this spreads to other networks as well, I can see why people who make their living as interpreters might be threatened by its existence. I suppose we’ll have to wait and see how well it works and whether or not it takes off.
If you’re interested in trying out the new live translation, head over to the T-Mobile website to sign up for the beta.
