Summer is right around the corner. We’re headed out on adventures and bringing our stuff with us. Here are all the tech and tips that WIRED Reviews recommends for your travels.
Hans Christian Andersen once said, “To travel is to live,” and while that’s a romantic notion, he probably wasn’t careening through Gyeongju, South Korea, at midnight in the back of a taxi with a driver who didn’t speak a lick of English.
Today’s world traveler has it awfully easy when it comes to understanding the local lingo, as even a basic modern cell phone app can offer a pretty good translation of common phrases delivered in everything from Abkhaz to Zulu. Type or speak a sentence or two into the app, tap a button, and out it returns in the language of your choice. Tap another button, and your phone can even speak those sentences aloud. It takes a little doing to turn this into a credible two-way conversation—especially if the cab driver isn’t slowing down—but with some patience and good humor, two strangers can engage in a reasonable discussion this way.
Casual travelers merely in need of directions to the farmacia or who want to know exactly what they’re getting into with a plate of kycklingtallrik can get by with a phone and a translation app, and if you’re going to a place with a fairly common tongue, you may not even need an active internet connection if you download the relevant language file for offline use. Google Translate, Apple Translate, or DeepL Translate will all do the job for free, though Google’s product is widely considered the gold standard for cross-language chitchat.
But what if you want to push past translating menus and asking for extra towels, and carry on a conversation with a new friend you met on a trip, or the in-laws who are visiting from halfway across the world? That’s where a handheld translator device can prove invaluable. These pocket-sized digital interpreters can help you seem like a polyglot, even if you don't know simple phrases. I have been testing and reviewing handheld translators for WIRED for five years, and I've developed a keen sense of how a good product should work and which ones I'd recommend.
What Do Handheld Language Translators Do?
Handheld translators are exactly that—stand-alone devices that up the ante on language interpretation, and their real value is revealed when you use them for sustained, voice-based conversation. Alongside the spoken word, some have a screen that shows the translation in text, often displaying the other side of the conversation upside down, so you don’t have to constantly pass the device back and forth.
Having a translator in a separate piece of hardware has further advantages. Namely, you can use your phone for something else while you’re talking—like snapping pictures or taking notes, for example—instead of tethering it to a translation app. You may also feel more comfortable handing a less costly stand-alone device to someone you don’t know versus trusting them with your $1,000 smartphone.
Many handheld translators can operate independently, either via Wi-Fi or with preloaded data plans that generally work worldwide. That means you can take one on a global jaunt and have access to interpretation services without having to pony up for an international plan on your smartphone. Better yet, download all the language packs you want before your trip, and you can use a handheld translator in offline mode, even when you’re in the sticks.
Earbud-based translators are the next game changer. These are over-ear devices that come in a pair—one for you, one for your conversation partner. Each of you wears one earbud, and the software on your phone handles the translation, both ways, behind the scenes. The best earbud translators make for the most natural way to communicate with someone in a foreign language that I’ve found to date, though handhelds tend to have more capabilities. (Earbud-based designs seem to be the direction the industry is heading.)
When shopping for a handheld translator, watch out for expensive subscription plans. Many devices come with free service, but only for a time, and re-upping after the trial period ends can be pricey. Check the fine print before you buy. Also, make sure the translator you’re considering covers all the languages you need. Note that while some translators support hundreds of languages, they may be limited in the language pairs they can translate between.
Who Really Needs a Handheld Language Translator?
Again, if you only need casual translation for occasional or emergency use, you can definitely get by with a free translation app on your phone. Translation devices are best for frequent users who expect to carry on multiple sustained conversations with speakers of other languages over time.
Those scenarios could include attending a reunion with your Swedish wife’s extended family or a lengthy workshop series with colleagues from other parts of the world. These tools are also often marketed to first responders who need to quickly assess a situation when human translation services aren’t available.
In situations where you may need to communicate with several speakers, each speaking a different language, a portable translator can make even more sense. If you expect your journeys to take you to far-flung areas or off the grid entirely, where internet service may be poor or nonexistent, a translator can be a helpful tool in your travel bag, even if you only expect to use it for emergencies.
Which Handheld Language Translators Are Best?
After testing numerous handheld translators, I recommend this trio. Which one you pick will depend on how you expect to use it—and your budget.
The Timekettle T1 is a reasonably affordable and very pocketable device that makes for an easy addition to your travel kit. Built for two users to communicate, each with access to half the screen, the T1 translates each side of a conversation—written or spoken—into that user’s own language. Using it can be a little tricky: a color-coded button on the side of the device or a virtual one on the 4-inch touchscreen must be held down to tell the T1 which language to listen for. But once you get the hang of it, the system works pretty well.
Accuracy is solid, and translations are fast, popping up in well under a second. One challenge I had with the device relates to its small screen. Like most translators, the T1 supports photo-based translations via its 8-megapixel camera, but the 540 x 1080-pixel screen is too small to display much text at once. Also, while the unit includes a global eSIM with two years of free service included ($50/year after that), I encountered plenty of signal gaps, even in my own home. The good news is that if Wi-Fi’s available, that works too. The unit also supports 31 offline language pairs (10 in combination with English), so if you plan ahead, service woes may not be an issue at all.
If you want to upgrade your translation experience and make it more immersive, you’ll want to invest in a pair of earbuds, which give you a more personal and natural way to communicate. As described above, the iconic way to use these is to pop one on yourself and give the other to your friend. An app on your phone handles two-way translation, back and forth.
These 12-gram on-ear earbuds are the best I’ve tested, primarily because once they’re configured, they work completely hands-free. No clicking buttons or tapping the side of your head every time you’re ready to speak: The earbuds understand who’s talking and when, and they work with remarkable speed, almost like a professional interpreter whispering in your ear.
You can also wear both earbuds and use them for one-way translations, including phone calls. The only trouble with the setup is that there’s no offline mode, so you’ll need internet access on your phone for them to do anything.
The InnAIO T10 is a hybrid device that serves as both an AI notetaker and a language translator. It has no screen and only one button, and a MagSafe ring allows it to clip to the back of your phone to ensure it’s always in reach.
Like other translators, the device is designed to record, transcribe, and summarize thoughts and meetings, but it can also translate them in real time. It’s better with written translations, but it also supports audio translations, although using this feature is slightly more difficult, requiring each party to hold down a button in the mobile app every time they speak.
The T10 has been upgraded since I wrote my review, adding an offline mode and enhancing a few other features, but note that you’ll still need a subscription ($179/year for unlimited service) to make the most of it, as the free tier only supplies 120 minutes of real-time translation per month.
Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that's too important to ignore. Subscribe Today.
.png){kind=logo}
