These earbuds may be the only translation tool you need overseas

While most translations today happen through software-based solutions, Timekettle takes a different approach by offering real-time translation through earbuds. With IFA 2026 officially here, the manufacturer has now announced a new pair of translation-oriented earbuds, but with a catch.

Following up on last year’s W4 and W4 Pro, the W4 Plus still supports 52 languages, 106 accents, and 13 language pairs for offline use. The big upgrade, however, comes in the software department, courtesy of Babel OS 3.0, which the manufacturer says delivers faster, more natural-sounding translations.

Alongside the new software, the W4 Plus will let you set profiles for a specific industry field, with options including General, Tech & Internet, Manufacturing & Industry, New Energy & Green Tech, and Biotech & Pharma. These profiles help the earbuds understand the nature of the conversation and adjust translations accordingly. The company says this approach should reduce mistranslations, particularly while discussing the technical details of a particular field.

With more AI now in the mix, the W4 Plus gets a conversation memory feature that “maintains context across longer, multi-turn discussions.” The interpreter/translation earbuds also include a live summary feature that offers “concise takeaways” of your past conversations.

Furthermore, the W4 Plus introduces an AI Speaking Coach to talk you through real-world scenarios, though this is currently limited to English, Chinese, and Spanish. A personal glossary lets users add terms, phrases, or custom names to the earbuds for easier recognition during conversations, while the new translation earbuds can also match the tone and style of the translations depending on the situation.

Among other upgrades, the new earbuds’ improved custom noise reduction algorithm is reportedly 32-47% better at picking up low-volume voices than the standard W4. The same algorithm also works alongside the bone-conduction tech and dual microphones to capture most of the user’s voice while cutting background noise.

Additionally, the W4 Plus can instantly switch between online and offline translations, which can be handy if you’re frequently on the move. They’re also easy to carry, with the charging case and the earbuds weighing 116.5 grams combined, whereas each earbud weighs 5.7 grams.

Unfortunately, the battery life has taken a bit of a hit compared to last year’s earbuds, with the W4 Plus seemingly lasting over three hours of continuous translation. That extends to 12 hours with the charging case or up to 18 hours of music playback, Timekettle says.

Interested customers can get the W4 Plus in Space Black, Midnight Blue, and Sandy Gold colors. As for the all-important question of pricing, the company will offer the base model for $299, with an optional $14.99/month subscription that unlocks some of the major AI additions mentioned above.

Users will still be able to access features like unlimited one-on-one translations, Listen & Play, AI Language Tutor, and offline translations with this base model, according to Timekettle. Meanwhile, a subscription-free version of the W4 Plus will cost $379 and include full access to all features.

You can get your hands on the W4 Plus in the US starting September 6 through the Timekettle website and Amazon.