April 19, 2012

There are similar apps available for other platforms but they are not free. Here I am reviewing Microsoft Translator app that is not just translating texts that are typed with keyboard, texts on images and texts spoken, but it can translate texts offline! And this app is completely free.

Most impressive is OFFLINE (!!!!!!) real-time translation that works in this way that you point your Windows Phone at some text written in other language (here, French):

… and then, even if you don’t have any internet connection (I have tested it! it works!), you get translations overlayed over the original text.

To use offline translation you need to download (completely free!!!) offline dictionaries.

I reckon that pattern recognition (i.e. OCR = Optical Character Recognition) is so good in this app that no server side is needed.

So, apart from translation via camera, this app can also translate texts entered via keyboard.

The selection of languages is rather large.

The translation via voice is not the best (or maybe my enunciation sounds like monkey grunting) but it does work.

Conclusion

Offline translation in this app is impressive, I must admit. Other platforms have similar offline translation via camera thingy but they demand $4.99 per language and here all is free. Clearly Microsoft is putting its weight behind Windows Phone nowadays since it is 1-4% market share in smartphones and Microsoft is desperate to get some traction. We can expect more such “Microsoft-made” apps that Microsoft will try to offer as leverage to convince users to chose Windows Phone – which is not easy considering that Windows Phone 7.5 is limited (only 1 core, only low resolution of 800×480), doens’t have vital apps (Angry Birds Space, Draw Something, Zynga’s something something with Friends, etc) and current Windows Phone 7.5 phones are not upgradeable to Windows Phone 8 that is coming out in October 2012 (i.e merely 6 months from now).

Oh God, these are exciting times for Windows Phone observation. I love that Microsoft is trying extremely hard to win over customers in view of total market domination (in total over 90%) by Android (50%) and iPhone (40%), and it is visible in several apps, including recently released fun Twiter/Facebook client “Star Wars Kinect” for Windows Phone, and it is visible via this app: Translator.

This app is free, if you have Windows Phone you should get this app and download yourself some off-line dictionaries. I am not joking!

To get this app, tap here: Translator for Windows Phone – made by Microsoft.

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