I bought this translator for a recent trip to Japan and overall, it’s a solid device, especially if you’re planning to have longer conversations with someone. The best part is that you can display the other screen to the person you’re talking to, so both of you can speak naturally without constantly passing the device back and forth. That makes it much smoother than using Google Translate for a full dialogue.

That said, it’s not ideal for quick interactions. If you’re just ordering food, asking for directions, or talking to a taxi driver, Google Translate is faster and easier. This one takes a bit of time to power on (almost 30 minutes to get into the actual translation function and navigate to the right feature), which can be a little frustrating when you’re in a hurry.

The offline translation feature is definitely a plus. Google Translate doesn’t always work offline, so having that option came in handy in places without good Wi-Fi. The photo translation works, showing each translation appears on the image, so it’s perfect for menus or signs.

Overall, I’d say it’s a great tool if you travel often or need to communicate more deeply in another language. Just don’t expect it to be the fastest option for quick, on-the-go situations.