In a nutshell...

A talking phrasebook for your phone, helping you muddle your way through confusing countries without sounding like an absolute berk.

Judgement time!

Speereo Voice Translator is in many ways the perfect mobile app. It solves a problem unique to life outside the home and could come to your rescue when your last resort is your mobile phone.

On the other had, it’s also an example of a terrible mobile app - a great idea stifled by bad programming. Installing Voice Translator is a chore, as there are so many versions floating around online. What’s more, it’s extra features, like the world clock, city guides, currency converter and weather forecast are poorly made. The latter was completely unresponsive in our test, for example.

That said, the main ‘translation’ utility works well, even if it can only translate phrases from its own library.

Sentences are shown on-screen, while a voice spits them out from the speakers. It’s not crystal clear, but if you use headphones phrases are easily repeatable, and that’s ultimately all that counts.

Sure, this is rough and ready, and for that reason the £38 price tag is a little unjustified, even if it does include phrasebooks in 14 languages. Single language versions are more reasonable at £15, so choose those if you’re not a multi-linguist wannabe.