Your perfect travel companion could be a translation smartphone

When travelling to foreign countries where English is not commonly spoken, we often have to rely on the Google Translate app, if not hand gestures, to communicate with the locals. 

It is often tedious, and a new smartphone designed with translation as its main philosophy could make travelling so much easier and more meaningful.

French smartphone brand SUGAR launched the world’s first smartphone with an onboard smart translator in July this year. The S20 is loaded with an AI software that not only performs voice translation, but is also able to translate texts in pictures captured by the phone’s camera.

It is capable of providing word-to-word translation in 104 languages and voice-to-voice interpretation in 42 languages. In addition, users can connect to a dedicated customer service centre for help if they experience difficulties with translations.

Carrying a SUGAR smartphone would be akin to having a mini-concierge in your pocket.

At an event in Beijing last month, the phone manufacturer was honoured as the “most popular translation smartphone among world’s diplomats”.

Speaking at “China’s 40 Years of Reform and Opening-Up: Salute to Translation Masters Worldwide – A Night of Diplomats and Translators”, CEO Chen Jin said the phone’s translation features are aligned with China’s master plan of promoting openness and communication with the rest of the world. It also encourages Chinese people to travel and see the world.

“We want to make a smartphone for global consumers so that when they get together, they can all communicate with each other without any language barriers.”