Have you ever visited a foreign country and wished you had a language translator with you? With the POCKETALK S Voice and Camera Translator, a two-way voice translator device, you can travel to over 100 countries around the world and communicate with confidence. Using cloud-based translation engines, Pocketalk offers the most up-to-date and accurate translations. This smart device continues to learn as you use it. Whether you're travelling through Asia or backpacking through Europe, Pocketalk is your ultimate travel companion.
Instead of signing up for an expensive mobile carrier plan or hunting down a wireless hotspot, Pocketalk comes with a 2-year built-in data plan, meaning no wifi is needed in order to use it. Equipped with Bluetooth compatibilities, powerful dual speakers and noise-cancelling dual microphones, Pocketalk will pick up every word you speak, even in the busiest of cities or crowded cafés. The large touch-screen makes Pocketalk simple to use and offers users a speech-to-text display of conversations. Its simple and intuitive interface allows you to select languages and adjust any settings with a few taps. With a full 4.5 hours of usage or up to 5.5 days in sleep mode, Pocketalk has a long reliable battery life.
The manufacturing quality is excellent, with a metal shell of the most beautiful effect (probably aluminium given the low weight of the machine) and a comfortable screen. When you first use it, the device asks you to enter a Wi-Fi code (in addition to its built-in 4G SIM at no extra cost), you will notice that the system runs Android, but does not seem to use Google Trad (fortunately, by the way) either for its translations or for its text-to-speech.
POCKETALK S Voice and Camera Translator Review
To translate, it's really simple: press the single front button, having previously chosen the language of origin and the language of destination (the built-in microphone can do it for you, avoiding a search among all the languages), and simply say the phrase you want to say in the other language. The result is almost instantaneous and is read directly through the speaker of the device. Didn't you hear him? Simply press the touchscreen, and text-to-speech will reproduce the translated version as many times as you want, in addition to displaying the result in text form, if you ever want your interlocutor to confirm what you wanted to say. Really cool, especially if you're travelling!
The Pocketalk is also equipped with a small photo sensor, for translating photographic elements. However, it is quite limited in low light and prefers the use of the built-in flash, to take readable photos, which will then be stored in the internal memory. The snapshots are then automatically translated by the device, without the need to highlight the necessary areas or the language in question. If your text includes more than one language, the translation will be done for all elements, without distinction, within a limit of 55 languages with this option. Another integrated application also allows you to convert units, whether it be temperature, weight, length or currency. All automatically update, either via 4G or via Wi-Fi.
POCKETALK S Voice and Camera Translator Review
On the connectivity side, no jack, but a single USB-C port (cable is included), as well as a pairable Bluetooth module with the headphones or connected speakers of your choice. There is even a small hole to pass a cord, perfect for those who like to customize with a Square Enix strap for example.
Finally, an integrated role-playing game will allow you to dive directly into situations where a foreign language is needed, whether it be at the airport, at the hotel, on the go, at the restaurant, for sightseeing or shopping. A playful way to learn English or Chinese (too bad there are no Japanese!).
In short, the Pocketalk is a really handy device, which should be used both in everyday life and in travel. My skills are quite limited in Japanese, this small translator should allow me to do all the different purposes of Catherine on PS Vita, unfortunately not located in our home, because remaining exclusivity on the archipelago.
The only downside remains its price: 300€ all the same! However, since the device comes with a two-year international 4G subscription (expandable, or swappable with Wi-Fi mode), it makes a lot of relativising when you know the price of data refills in some countries of the world!
Overall, I recommend the POCKETALK S Voice and Camera Translator to anyone who wants a dedicated device for translation.
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This article was originally published on 20 Feb 2023. Product specifications, prices and availability may have changed. We sometimes receive review products and may earn commission through affiliate links. We are not obliged to publish a positive review. How we review and disclose partnerships.
