4 Top Translation Apps: How They Work and How Good They Are

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(Newswire.net — June 8, 2017) — Automated translation is a soon to be $1.5 billion industry. Indeed, there are already a wealth of translation tools available; many of which claim to be the one that will finally break the language barrier. However the accuracy and performance of most machine translation is debatable. 

That’s why we’ve decided to look at four of the best translation apps and find out how useful they are, both for individuals and businesses.

1. Google Translate

When it comes to machine translation apps, there’s only one place to start; Google Translate.

The free app has over 200 million daily users and has transformed since it’s launch in 2006. The accuracy of Google Translate, for one, has improved exponentially over the years. This is partly due to its community of users, who can ‘contribute’ to the app. This works as language enthusiasts give feedback on translation, that the app takes on board to improve organically over time. In this way, Google Translate could arguably be described as a computer-assisted translation service more than machine translation. 

Although Google Translate has been invaluable for individuals, businesses should avoid using i. Writing for the Financial Times, Michael Skapinker argued that “While Google Translate has improved, it is still not good enough for any credible business to use it” and that businesses “certainly should not use it to provide a translation of your corporate website.”

Skapinker’s arguments are supported by London Translations, who argue that businesses who translate websites also need to consider localising their pages. This means that the things that Google cannot translate, such as colours, design and images, need to be considered in addition to the linguistic subtleties that often differ from one region to the next. 

Number of languages:100 plus 

Cost: Free 

2. WayGo 

The USP of Waygo is that it can instantly translate Chinese, Japanese and English characters into English. It is therefore particularly useful for English speaking people travelling through, visiting or living in one of the above countries.

It works by utilizing a combination of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and machine translation. OCR works by using the camera on your smartphone to identify characters (in this case specifically Chinese, Korean or Japanese characters) which it then translates into English text and phrases based on the app’s proprietary algorithms.

Although very useful for individual words, the problems for WayGo, as with many translation apps, occur with longer pieces of text. Therefore, users should stick to menus and signage, and not rely on this app for business deals or important occasions.

Number of languages:Chinese, Japanese, Korean and English 

Cost: $11.99 for all languages 

3. Microsoft/Bing Translator 

The USP of Microsoft Translator, otherwise known as Bing Translator, is that it allows for three different input methods: voice, camera and keyboard. 

The camera input allows the user to hold their camera up to a symbol or text and directly translate it into the text of a target language, while the voice translator can convert speech into both text and audio in the target language. This makes the app useful when it comes to things like reading menus, street signs and understanding short phrases. However, as it translates text word for word, longer sentences and pieces of text may be inaccurate. 

Microsoft Translator is generally seen as Google Translate’s nearest rival. Although the app is far behind Google in terms of users, Microsoft Translator targets businesses a lot more closely.

They suggest using the app for internal communications, training, consumer content, as well as website localisation. However, to ensure that your translations are 100% accurate, this would still require human input. 

Number of languages:Over 60 languages

Cost: Basic version is free 

4. iTranslate Voice 

This app works by transcribing the user’s speech into text and then translating the text into a target language. 

The app performs over 4 million daily translations and 5 million monthly active users. The app aims to help travellers, students and business people alike communicate in a wide array of languages all over the world. 

The most basic version of the app is free, and it can work offline if you download language packs to your device. However, this can increase the chances of inaccuracy, and should probably be avoided where possible in international business meetings.

Number of languages:Over 90 languages

Cost:Basic version is free