Have you requested your vacation at work? Check ✔️ Destination selected? Check ✔️ Passport renewed? Check ✔️ Flights and hotel booked? Check ✔️

The scenario above is usually the typical procedure if you plan to go on holiday. You can't wait to leave the daily hustle and bustle at home behind and enjoy a couple of days on a sunny beach on a beautiful island somewhere in Indonesia. Now I'd like you to imagine the following scene:

You get up early in the morning, grab your suitcase, and head to the airport. While waiting for your gate to open, you get yourself some overpriced coffee to avoid falling asleep and missing the boarding. But it's ok. You're on holiday, and in a couple of hours, you'll finally be able to work on your tan. Even though it wasn't really necessary for your seat-mate to put off his shoes during the whole flight and hence revealing an odor you could've gone without, all the annoyances on the way are forgotten when you see the palm trees aligned outside the airport. So, what's next? A taxi seems an excellent idea to get to your hotel. You see a single one left at the far end of the taxi stand and get in. And now you're facing the real problem: 

The driver doesn't speak your language. 

How to overcome language barriers

If you find yourself end up in a situation like this, you might want to try articulating with your hands and feet - and let's be honest - risk making a fool of yourself. However, there's a much easier solution for such problems: iTranslate Converse turns your phone into an easy-to-use two-way translation device. The simple design enables natural conversations in 38 languages in the Online Mode, and automatically detects the correct language between two selected languages for a fast and accurate translation. 

Get even more freedom with the BRAND NEW Offline Mode

This brand new feature is pretty neat. It allows you to now use iTranslate Converse entirely offline with the newest update of our very own Offline Voice Recognition! Meaning, there's no need to be connected to the internet anymore. Use the app whenever and wherever you need it - on the plane, deep in the jungle of Brazil or any other place where you're unable to get a signal or wifi. 

But let's dive in a little deeper into the technology of the Offline Voice Recognition, because the high consumption of coffee and chocolate waffle cuts for our dev and machine learning team shouldn't have been in vain! So, for explanation: Apple's iOS devices already come with built-in voices and an on-device speech recognition feature that doesn't require internet connection. The advantage: On-device speech recognition increases the user's privacy while eliminating the limitations of server-based processing. However, developers still face issues with implementing Apple's speech recognition API, which then leads to less accuracy for the user. Eager to avoid this, our team at iTranslate's been working hard on its very own speech recognition API to enhance the speaking rate, pause duration, and especially voice quality. So far, you can choose between 5 languages and dialects - more languages already in the pipeline. 

What's more to know about iTranslate Converse? 

Well, let's continue with the scenario from the beginning: you're in a hurry and want to get as quickly as possible to your desired destination. When using a translator, the last thing you want is to waste time fumbling with your phone. Especially when seconds count and you need to communicate with someone. And this is where iTranslate Converse stands out - it's fast, simple and easy to use, since, once you open the app, the whole screen becomes your translation button. Swipe up the screen to select the two desired languages, and you're all set. Press and hold to speak. The app can automatically detect which of the two languages is being spoken and translates it to the other.

How's the performance in noisy surroundings?

There's nothing to worry about this either. iTranslate Converse works well in noisy environments and still provides superior accuracy. So if you end up in the middle of Times Square in NY and want to ask someone if they can tell you where's the best place to get a bagel, then this app can be your lifesaver. 

iTranslate Converse for your Apple Watch 

Like the iPhone version iTranslate Converse for Apple Watch couldn’t be simpler to use: 

Hold the button and say a phrase, and the app translates your previous voice input aloud. The app also shows a written translation, displayed upside down to make it easier for the other person to read what you’re communicating. To change languages, tap the top of your Apple Watch screen.

So, when planning your next holiday or business trip abroad, you should check out iTranslate Converse. It's easy to use, delivers translation results in near real-time, scores with excellent performance in noisy environments AND now even comes with a brand new Offline Mode.

We'd also love to hear about your encounters with language barriers, so feel free to reach out to us via blog@itranslate.com and share your stories with us!