Google Translate

Calling all travelers! This is it, a truly indispensable tool for communication while far away from home. Google Translate’s simple interface is a breeze: Just type in the word or phrase you want translated, and Google does the rest. The app supports 57 different languages (impressive, right?), providing text translations right on your smartphone screen.

For 23 of those languages, Google Translate shows its real value by playing recordings of the translated phrase. You can actually hear the words said aloud, which allows you to communicate with people by repeating what you hear, rather than just leaving you to butcher the language with your uninformed interpretation of the text. You can also speak into the iPhone's microphone and the app will translate what you say into the language of your choice. For the voice translation to work, you must speak slowly and clearly, and define the language ahead of time. But it's very useful nonetheless.

Reviewed: May 23, 2011 | Phil Hornshaw

Also featured on: App Spotlight: Google Translate