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iOS 14: Apple's Built-In iPhone Translate App That Works With 11 Languages

Siri, predictive text, reliable autocorrect, a freaking keyboard that works, swipe to type, translation, maps – just a bunch of things Apple still isn't supporting in some countries where it sells its products. Meanwhile, Google isn't even selling products and has been providing all this for free for many many years. Every time I'm reminded about how grateful I am for Google, despite all their flaws and shady things, they have made my life so much easier by supporting a small country with a little-known language while Apple shows no signs of doing the same despite profiting off people who buy their products in these countries.
 
  • Disagree
Reactions: subi257
Arislan said:
What it's missing is a "tap to translate" system level function that apps could use. So if you're chatting with someone in Whatsapp or something else, you could long press the text to select translate. Cutting and pasting between a conversation/chat app and Translate is horribly tedious. Build it in as a system feature please.
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Agreed! I think WeChat has it or Didi (Chinese Uber) probably soon for us
 
dwaltwhit said:
I feel like US English isn’t a language, but rather it is a dialect of UK English.
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Sure, but it's simpler to list them as two language choices. In particular, if it is the only dialect option you have instead of creating a submenu just for English dialect selection.
 
It is not a political issue in China, many stores and institutions use traditional characters for display purposes.

While in Taiwan… well, they've got some issues, to say the least: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-13795301

I once spoke with a Taiwan girl who was vehemently opposed to simplified chacraters, and who was convinced that it was a plot by the communist regime. She was utterly unaware that the simplification process started in Nationalist China, and only turned political after the nationalists fled to Taiwan.

Still, people use simplified characters in informal writing even in Taiwan, because it is so time consuming writing with traditional characters (龍 vs. 龙 as an example). On digital devices it doesn't matter, of course, although traditional characters are harder to read on tiny screens.

You can see the same thing in Hongkong. Rioters often use simplified characters when they scribble their words on walls and banners, while they would be very upset if MTR (the metro system) uses simplified characters on their signs. So cute.

sirozha said:
China would be mad if they offered the traditional Chinese because it’s used by Taiwan. Apple is bending over and spreading wide for China. Their life depends on it.
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catracho504 said:
As a spanish native speaker, I must say that some translations made by iOS in the article are not good 🤭
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I was wondering if this was going to be the case ? I have used Google Translate English to Chinese and I friend told me that it was wrong, but she understood what i was saying.
[automerge]1595519367[/automerge]
jclo said:
Nope, it definitely needs improvement.
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I guess this speaks to there is a difference between "translate" and "interpret" When you have a person bridging a conversation between people of 2 difference languages, that person in an interpreter. Somebody that is fluent in both languages and makes the corrections for the implied meaning.
 
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Delgibbons said:
They could mix the translate app with their maps app. "drive around the airport" would become "drive across the runway" 😂

www.cnet.com

Apple Maps mishap sees drivers crash airport runway

Hapless Apple Maps caused a scare at an airport when drivers invaded a runway -- because their iPhones told them to.
www.cnet.com www.cnet.com
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Google maps literally did the same to me, sending me to a small airport rather than to my cousin's house. it had also said that another family member's house was in the middle of a field for about 6-7 months. They are all progressing at the same rate, they both have the same foibles (just in different areas) and they both have room to improve.

Considering this is a beta and we won't be getting a GM till the fall I think they will have this all handled by then.
 
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Call me cynical, but I am not sure I'm going to trust Apple's translations… I have a hard enough time getting a correct answer from Siri about basic stuff.

These "translations" might just cause you to end up with a black eye or tossed out the door. 🙂
 
Arislan said:
What it's missing is a "tap to translate" system level function that apps could use. So if you're chatting with someone in Whatsapp or something else, you could long press the text to select translate. Cutting and pasting between a conversation/chat app and Translate is horribly tedious. Build it in as a system feature please.
Click to expand...

i would think something like this should be easily scripted using shortcuts triggered via the select/share/[shortcut] menu.
 
macdos said:
It is not a political issue in China, many stores and institutions use traditional characters for display purposes.

While in Taiwan… well, they've got some issues, to say the least: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-13795301

I once spoke with a Taiwan girl who was vehemently opposed to simplified chacraters, and who was convinced that it was a plot by the communist regime. She was utterly unaware that the simplification process started in Nationalist China, and only turned political after the nationalists fled to Taiwan.

Still, people use simplified characters in informal writing even in Taiwan, because it is so time consuming writing with traditional characters (龍 vs. 龙 as an example). On digital devices it doesn't matter, of course, although traditional characters are harder to read on tiny screens.

You can see the same thing in Hongkong. Rioters often use simplified characters when they scribble their words on walls and banners, while they would be very upset if MTR (the metro system) uses simplified characters on their signs. So cute.
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That is interesting, because I have a few Taiwanese friends and they give me a hard time when i use simplified characters as opposed to traditional in Google translate. One of them is even a Taiwanese of indigenous ancestry...not Chinese.
 
B4U said:
Let me re-phrase.
Why pick one over the other to start with, instead of launching both?
It shows Apple's bias in favor of one over the other.
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Why pick one over the other? Because when you are scoping a project there has to be a cutoff somewhere. Otherwise you will develop until you have every possible language and ship the product 2 years from now. Some stakeholder or stakeholders made a decision to cut off at 11. Then which 11 was made. Or these were the 11 they felt were "done' to their satisfaction.
Again, we can all ask what about language XYZ. Of course there will be additional languages added over time. They are not picking the code ready to go off a shelf.
 
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damphoose said:
Why pick one over the other? Because when you are scoping a project there has to be a cutoff somewhere. Otherwise you will develop until you have every possible language and ship the product 2 years from now. Some stakeholder or stakeholders made a decision to cut off at 11. Then which 11 was made. Or these were the 11 they felt were "done' to their satisfaction.
Again, we can all ask what about language XYZ. Of course there will be additional languages added over time. They are not picking the code ready to go off a shelf.
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Again, pleasing the mainland China market...
 
manu chao said:
  1. Arabic,
  2. Chinese,
  3. English (US and UK),
  4. French,
  5. German,
  6. Italian,
  7. Japanese,
  8. Korean,
  9. Portuguese,
  10. Russian,
  11. Spanish.
Click to expand...

dwaltwhit said:
Welp. Touché
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Siri it's self supports 21 languages in 36 countries and dozens of dialects for Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. This app is a beta so they limited its support for the beta process, but I 100% expect all these languages to be supported once out of Beta.
 
JoshBoy said:
I have searched all on my phone (I have ios14 beta) and the translate app is not on there. Is it only available in certain regions?
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Have you found it? I can’t find it on my iPad (running latest iPadOS 14 beta), I’m in Brazil.
 
boston04and07 said:
Another reason why it really should be a part of iPadOS...it’s confusing when stock apps are available on one device but not the other.
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While I do agree with you, it's a catch 22. If Apple makes it a "stock app" people will complain they can't get rid of it. I do hope Apple makes it at least available fo iPad OS, unlike the calculator.
 
Websnapx2 said:
While I do agree with you, it's a catch 22. If Apple makes it a "stock app" people will complain they can't get rid of it. I do hope Apple makes it at least available fo iPad OS, unlike the calculator.
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Well, we’ve b able to delete most stock apps for a while now. Shouldn’t be a reason to not add this functionality to iPadOS.
 
What is the name of this new app? Translate? Is is “built-in” or do I have to download it? Found something in the App Store, tried it on the iPad, and it looks like it is only in vertical mode. What? When you write this kind of story, tell people where to go to get it, how to get it and what devices it works on. Poorly written.
 
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