When you go on holiday we have all had that problem when you ask for help and no one you find can speak your language. Well, technology has come to the rescue and introducing the Pocketalk Translator which cost £219 on Amazon. I have tested this over the Christmas period as I have some family from Malta who I have always struggled to communicate with and used the Pocketalk to see if I could break down that barrier of communication.
The pocketalk translator is a palm-sized translator meaning it can be taken anywhere and you can slip it into your pocket with ease and only weighs 100 grams. The translator comes in 4 colours Red, Gold, Black & White. In this review, we have the white version.
This translator has the chance to include a global sim and can also be linked to Wifi when in use. Design-wise the translator is an oval-shaped device and with a speaker at the top and slightly down the device on the right side you have the power button and on the left side, you have the sim card slot. At the bottom of the device, you have two buttons that are the talk buttons with the pocketalk logo printed under and the USB port at the very bottom.
The device has 1GB of RAM meaning you have a lot of space to keep certain phrases and with the speaker is 1.5 watts meaning you get a very clear and loud translation. Finally, you get a very big battery it’s a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that is 2200 mAh.
The device runs on a custom android operating system and features a touchscreen and can be very sensitive. In the box, you get the device, USB-C charge cable and user manual. This device has 74 languages to pick between.
Using the device is very simple all you have to do is power it up and use the touch screen to pick the languages for each side to enable the conversation. When in use hold the button of your language and wait till you hear a beep then speak into it and then release. Once you release it translates and speaks what you want to say. The second button can be pressed when your conversation partner replies and for example if they are Spanish the translator will tell you the English version if that is your chosen language. The device then stores each translation meaning you could keep certain phrases you might use more often.
Now when testing this I found a slight problem my nan is from Malta and the translator did not pick up some of the conversations due to her accent. If you ask her to speak clearly into the device you avoid that issue.
What I like about this device is most languages can be selected so if you go travelling this device will be worth every penny. I also like the fact you can use a Global Sim card meaning you can use it anywhere on the go or if your able to connect to Wi-fi that also allows you to use it.
My only negative was it was not great when the other person you were speaking with had a strong accent but if you can pass by that its a very good device that allowed me to have a full conversation with someone who I have never been able to fully talk to without my nan having to break out the broken English. The other negative is when connecting to wi-fi the screen can be a little fiddly when typing the wifi code into the device.
The Pocketalk is packed with 74 languages such as:
The pocketalk it also picks up dialects like Brazilian Portuguese and other dialects. If you are travelling a top tip when in china you have strict regional regulations when using wi-fi. In this case, turn the device into china mode but using this mode will limit the number of languages.
So overall, the Pocketalk is the ideal travel assistant and if you do a lot of travelling the cost of £219 won’t be a big deal as this will prove its worth and with a long-life battery and takes the stress away if you were to try and use your phone for translation and was worried about handing your phone to a stranger.
The Pocketalk translator – £219 via Amazon
