Earbud-based translators are the next game changer. These are more hearing aids that come with one pair of you, one of your conversation partner. You each wear one earpiece, and an app on your phone handles the translation, both ways, behind the scenes. The best headset translators make for the most natural way to communicate with someone in a foreign language that I’ve found so far, although handhelds tend to be more capable. (Headphone-based designs seem to be the direction the industry is heading.)
When shopping for a handheld translator, look out for expensive subscription plans. Most devices come with free service, but only for a limited time, and adding it back after the trial period ends can be expensive. Check out the fine print before you buy. Also, make sure the translator you are considering covers all the languages you need. Note that although some translators can 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 just need a basic translation for occasional or emergency use, you can certainly get by using a free translation app on your phone. Translation tools are best for frequent users who hope to carry on many continuous conversations with speakers of other languages over time.
Those events could include attending a reunion with your Swedish wife’s extended family or a long series of workshops with colleagues from other parts of the world. These tools are also often marketed to first responders who need to quickly assess situations when human translation services are not available.
In situations where you may need to communicate with several speakers, each speaking a different language, a portable translator can make more sense. If you expect your travels to take you to remote or completely off-the-grid areas, where internet service may be poor or non-existent, a translator can be a useful tool in your travel bag, even if you only expect to use it in an emergency.
Which Handheld Translators Are Best?
Having tried many handheld translators, I recommend these three. Which one you choose will depend on how you expect to use it—and your budget.
Best Freelance Translator
The Timekettle T1 it’s an affordable and pocketable device that makes it an easy addition to your travel kit. Designed for two users to communicate, each with access to half of the screen, the T1 translates each side of the conversation—written or spoken—into the user’s own language. Using it can be a little tricky: a color-coded button on the side of the device or a scroller on the 4-inch touchscreen must be held down to tell the T1 which language to listen to. But once you get the hang of it, the system works well.
Accuracy is consistent, and translations are fast, appearing within a second. One challenge I had with the device has to do with its small screen. Like most translators, the T1 supports image-based translations through its 8-megapixel camera, but the 540 x 1080-pixel screen is too small to display a lot of text at once. Also, while the unit includes an international eSIM that includes two years of free service ($50/year after that), I experienced many signal gaps, even at home. The good news is that if Wi-Fi is available, that works too. This unit also supports 31 offline language pairs (10 plus English), so if you plan ahead, service issues may not be a problem at all.
Best Headphones for Translators
iFLYTEK
iFLYTEK AI Translation Headphones
If you want to improve your interpreting experience and make it more interesting, you’ll want to invest in a pair of headphones, which give you a more personal and natural way to communicate. As mentioned above, the traditional way to use these is to stick one for yourself and give the other to your friend. The app on your phone handles two-way, back-and-forth translation.
These 12-gram earbuds are the best I’ve tried, primarily because once they’re set up, they’re completely hands-free. No buttons to click or tap on the side of your head every time you’re ready to talk: The earphones understand who’s talking and when, and they work incredibly fast, almost like a professional interpreter whispering in your ear.
