We take a look at a ton of different devices — smartphones, tablets, laptops, and the like. But this time around, we’ve got something pretty interesting: a portable translator.
Yes, you read that right. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at fluentalk’s T1 Portable Translator — a device designed to translate languages and serve as a tool to hurdle language barriers.
The main question is, is this something that somebody would need in the world of online translators and smartphones?
Let’s find out in this hands-on review of the fluentalk T1 Portable Translator!
Table of Contents
Design, Display, and Specs
While I personally think that the fluentalk T1 portable translator’s main seller is its software features, it’s also important to see what type of hardware we got working with so let’s run it down.
The fluentalk T1 has a premium-feeling metal design all over. It’s got a 4.0-inch screen, with a 540 x 1080 resolution compact, a quad-core ARM 12nm CPU with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, and even an 8MP camera at the back.
While the screen doesn’t have the highest resolution, it’s sharp enough to read text and also gets bright enough to be useable indoors and outdoors.
It has three main buttons on the side: a yellow, a red, and a blue button. These three inputs make up the T1’s main feature, which we’ll dive more into later.
There are multiple microphones around the device, as well as a speaker grill that outputs translations. Performance-wise, we never experienced any lag when we used any of the translation-focused software features on the T1.
Overall, the fluentalk T1 feels and looks like a high-end Android music player with its metal finish and substantial weight. The display are also perfectly serviceable for what the T1 is for, translation.
With that, it’s time to finally get into software and see what this portable translator is all about.
OS, Apps, and Software Features
The fluentalk T1 runs on Android 10 and has both WiFi and 4G LTE capability. On the T1, we get specialized software that’s tailor-made for all things translation. Remember the three large buttons we mentioned earlier? These three buttons make up the main software feature that the T1 brings to the table — One-Click Translation.
The yellow button is for Power, the red button is for your Native Language, and the blue button is for the Second language.
All you have to do is click a button of your choice — either red or blue, speak to it, and the T1 will translate it to your preferred language. The T1 then dictates the translation on the device’s dedicated speaker grill.
Here are a few photos of us using the one-click translation feature:
The translation is impressively quick, with an almost instant response. For the most part, it usually gets the translation right. However, your mileage in terms of response time may vary depending on the strength of your WiFi connection or your mobile data.
While the translator indeed works as advertised, the elephant in the room remains: Why not just use your smartphone and or Google Translate?
Well, fluentalk bakes in a number of different language-focused features outside of the usual translation.
First, there’s an Ask For Directions option, where you can set a Custom Message for times like asking strangers for help when you’re lost or needing tips for directions.
There’s also a Common Expressions mode that houses a ton of recordings and translations that covers common scenarios such as help with going to a nearby Hospital or asking for Restaurant suggestions.
Then we have what fluentalk calls Listen Mode where you can have the T1 record a speaker’s words and have it transcribe AND translate it to a chosen language at the same time.
Lastly, remember that 8MP camera? Well, you can also use the T1 to capture images that feature a different language and the device will translate it provided that it has the detected language built-in.
Here it is in action:
Speaking of languages, the T1 can store 13 pairs of languages for offline translation, and over 40 languages, and 93 accents when connected to the internet.
It has common options such as English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and many more. It also has Filipino, for our Pinoy readers out there.
Here’s the full list of languages supported on the T1:
13 Pairs of Offline Translation:
- English to = Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Spanish, Russian
- Chinese to = English, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Spanish, Russian]
40 Languages and 93 Accents:
- English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Icelandic, Greek, Ukrainian, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Slovenian, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Malay, Filipino, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Arabic, Turkish, Urdu, Catalan, Polish, Hungarian, Hebrew, Cantonese
The T1 also provides a free 2-Year International Unlimited Data Plan with its built-in e-sim, aside from the dedicated nano SIM slot on the device.
So, even without installing your own sim, you get free data for online translation wherever you are.
In terms of battery, the T1 carries a 1500 mAh battery, with USB-C charging. The T1 can last 96 hours in terms of standby time and 3.5 hours of continuous translation.
Conclusion
As you can see, the T1 Portable Translator does a pretty great job of delivering on its promise as your go-to and all-in-one translating device.
But, there is a kicker here and that’s the price. Right now, you can buy the fluentalk T1 Portable Translator for $299.99 or just around Php 16,700. That’s a ton of money and is already as expensive as a decent mid-range smartphone.
However, if you’re somebody who: travels a lot, prefers not to use your phone, or finds great value in the baked-in software features, then the T1 portable translator is definitely worth considering.
If you want to see the fluentalk T1 portable translator in live-action, you can watch our video feature on it below:
So, what do you think of the fluentalk T1 Portable Translator? Would you consider getting one for all your translation needs?
Let us know in the comments down below!
