Timekettle W4 vs M3: Find the Perfect Translation Earbuds for You

In today’s world, communication knows no boundaries — but language barriers still do. Whether you’re traveling abroad, working with international partners, or staying connected with family across borders, having the right translation device can change everything.

At Timekettle, we’ve spent years reimagining how technology can bring people closer. Our mission has always been simple yet ambitious: to make conversation across languages as natural as speaking to someone next to you.

Two of our most popular products — the Timekettle W4 Translator Earbuds and the M3 Translation Earbuds — both embody that mission in unique ways. But which one is right for you?

In this guide, we’ll take you through a comprehensive, side-by-side comparison of the W4 and M3 — from design and performance to real-life use cases — to help you discover your ideal translation companion.

Design & Comfort: Semi-In-Ear vs Compact In-Ear

W4: Semi-In-Ear Design for Extended Conversations

The Timekettle W4 is a semi-in-ear design, providing a comfortable fit for longer conversations while maintaining awareness of your surroundings. The semi-in-ear style ensures better sound isolation, helping you hear translations clearly even in moderately noisy environments.

Its compact design makes it portable and stylish, and the shared-wear feature allows you to hand one earbud to your conversation partner, enabling smooth, face-to-face communication.

Designed for professionals, travelers, and families, the W4 balances comfort, portability, and real-time translation performance in one sleek device.

M3: Compact In-Ear for Everyday Versatility

The M3 Translation Earbuds feature a secure in-ear fit, ensuring a comfortable and snug experience. With professional-grade EQ tuning, they deliver premium audio performance, while high-precision Active Noise Reduction (ANC) blocks up to 30dB of unwanted noise. With advanced ANC controllers, you can enjoy crystal-clear sound without sacrificing comfort. Hear every detail, feel every beat without compromise.

Both W4 and M3 follow the “split-and-share” design concept, allowing users to share earbuds for effortless cross-language communication. While the M3 is available in white and black, the W4 comes in two elegant colors-Midnight Blue and Sandy Gold.

Translation Performance Comparison

W4: Simultaneous, Bidirectional Translation

The W4 is designed for real-time, simultaneous interpretation, allowing both participants to speak at the same time without waiting for the other to finish.

The highlight of W4 is its bone-conduction technology which could  isolate the speaker’s voice from background noise, achieving up to 98% translation accuracy, even in environments as loud as 100dB.

The W4 supports two main modes:

One-on-One Mode: Each person wears an earbud, enabling natural, real-time dialogue.

Listen & Play Mode: Only one participant wears the earbud; the other speaks to a phone, and translations are delivered directly to the wearer which is perfect for interacting with strangers or those who prefer not to wear an earbud. 

Other key features of W4:

1. Applicability of LLM Models: Avoid costly miscommunications. The W4’s LLM-powered correction can catch up to 85% of homophone errors, making cross-language communication smoother. For example, when speaking quickly, “ship it” might be misheard as “skip it.” W4 understands the context and automatically corrects it, ensuring your message is conveyed accurately.

2. AI Semantic Segmentation: In fast-paced speeches or live presentations, the W4 detects natural pause points, translating speech sentence by sentence just like a human interpreter. This ensures long, complex speeches are accurately captured without missing context.

3. AI Voice Cloning (Coming Soon): Unlike robotic-sounding translations, this upcoming feature will preserve your natural intonation, laughter, and sighs across 43 languages, making personal conversations feel more genuine.

4. OTA Upgrades: Your W4 stays future-ready with lifetime over-the-air updates. As AI translation models improve, your earbuds automatically receive the latest enhancements, keeping them cutting-edge without extra cost.

M3: Flexible, Everyday Translation

The M3 focuses on flexibility and convenience, offering three translation modes:

Touch Mode: One-on-one conversations with simple tap-to-speak controls.

Listen Mode: Ideal for lectures or presentations, providing simultaneous text and audio translation through the app.

Speaker Mode: Perfect for short interactions, like ordering food or asking directions, where only the user wears the earbud.

While M3 doesn’t support simultaneous two-way translation like W4, its basic translation features make it versatile for travel and everyday interactions.

Who Should Buy Timekettle W4 vs M3?

Choosing between W4 and M3 depends on your lifestyle and communication needs:

Choose W4 if:

• You need real-time, simultaneous translation for professional or personal situations, whether it’s business negotiations, family gatherings, or in-person medical consultations.
• You often converse in moderately noisy environments and need high accuracy.
• You value shared conversations and hands-free usability.

Choose M3 if:

• You’re looking for affordable, multi-purpose earbuds that combine translation with music and calls.
• You want a versatile, compact earbud for travel, casual conversations, or learning.

Pros & Cons

Timekettle W4 Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Bone conduction for 98% accuracy in noise
• Hands-free auto-switching modes
• Lifetime free upgrades
• Compact shared-wear case
• Immersive music/calls

Cons:

• Relatively higher price point

Timekettle M3 Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Affordable and lightweight
• Versatile 3-mode setup

Cons:

• Manual taps interrupt flow
• Weaker in very noisy areas

Overview: Timekettle W4 vs M3 at a Glance

Q: Do both work offline?

A: Yes, but M3 includes more packs (13 vs W4's add-ons).

Q: Is the W4 worth the extra cost over M3?

A: Absolutely for hands-free accuracy; stick to M3 for casual use.

Q: Supported languages in W4 vs M3?

A: Both support 43 languages and 96 accents.