We’ll start off by quickly running down some of the pros and cons of using Google Translate. Overall, while Google Translate is great, there are also other quality translation services that you can consider, which is the focus of this post. You might be better off with a different service for your specific language(s) or there might be budget restrictions that factor into your decisions.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best translation service for your specific situation. It supports a huge number of languages and is generally pretty accurate no matter which language pairs you choose. Google Translate is one of the best translation services that you’ll find. To download Google Translate (which is available for both Google Android and Apple iPhones and iPad), visit the Apple App Store or Google Play Store from your smartphone or tablet.Searching for some alternatives for Google Translate? Google says this feature will be expanded to cover more languages in the near future. This function currently works on translating from French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish to English and vice versa. Now the app simply lets you hover the camera over the sign or written word and you’ll see the translated text overlaid on your screen - even if you don't have an internet or data connection. Previously, the app required you to snap a photo of the sign before translation could take place. Google has also updated the ability to use your smartphone’s camera to translate signs and written words and phrases. It definitely sped up having a conversation in a foreign language. We tried a selection of French, Spanish and Polish phrases and the app provided the correct translation each time. Once you've opened the app, you’ll need to press the microphone to enter Voice Translation mode, and then press the Microphone again to begin speaking. We can already imagine how useful when asking for directions on holiday or ordering from menus in a foreign language. The free Google Translate appnow features a microphone button, which when pressed will automatically recognise which language is being spoken and offer a written translation on your smartphone’s screen in real time. The Google Translate app will automatically recognise which language is being spoken and provide a written translation in real time making it easier to ask for directions from locals when on holiday

Google apps that translate a book