CES 2025: AI wearables off with a bang in Las Vegas
TimeKettle has launched the W4 Pro Earbuds at CES 2025, alongside Babel OS, which enables real-time translation across video calls.
The W4 Pro supports 40 languages and over 90 accents and uses AI to translate conversations across any platform in real time.
The design is a little larger than your standard pair of Apple AirPods Pro. The W4 Pro features an open-ear design but does include active noise cancellation.
TimeKettle says there’s a 3-5 second delay between speech and translation, but that the W4 Pro will boost the volume and clarity of the speaker in the user’s ear and achieves 95% accuracy in terms of its translation. Let’s hope that the other 5% isn’t a crucial part of the message.
There’s also some clever tech behind the scenes. A transcription will be recorded on a paired mobile device, and TimeKettle offers customizable lexicons, which means support for specific industries — which is rather neat.
In terms of battery life, TimeKettle says that the W4 Pro will last 12 hours and recharge in one hour. However, we’re not sure if that includes 12 hours of continuous translation.
All this is powered by Babel OS, which enables some of the translation magic. The AI can predict what’s going to be said, which speeds up translations. And it’s that AI that can also adapt to certain industries, so it can handle obscure jargon.
Babel OS is rolling out to other TimeKettle devices, so it should improve the accuracy of its handheld translation tools. TimeKettle also says the Babel OS AI makes for more realistic translated voices, which should create a more pleasant experience than robotic chatter.
The W4 Pro Earbuds (priced at $449) will be available from January 7, 2025.
Wareable says:
Live translation is one of the big upshots of advancements in AI — and TimeKettle isn’t the only company showing it off this year. Smartglasses are also targeting this feature, but a dedicated pair of earbuds offering high-quality, clear translated audio will make for a compelling experience.
We’ll be trying to get ears-on with the W4 Pro at CES 2025 to find out how they work in practice.
