[T_Holloway]

I’m trying to figure out if the Enence Translator actually works without a data connection for all 68 languages or just a few basic ones. The product page is vague about which languages are available offline. I don’t want to buy it and find out it’s useless in places with no signal. Anyone know the real story?

[Chris Miller]

I always assumed the offline part was just a handful of common languages, since that’s how most of these gadgets seem to work. The 68 number probably covers online mode only. If you really need it in dead zones, I’d look for one that lists the offline languages right on the box.

[Pixel Pete]

I picked one up before a trip to Japan and honestly the offline thing was way less of an issue than I expected. In the cities my phone had signal basically everywhere so it stayed in online mode the whole time. The only stretch where I actually relied on offline was a couple days out in the countryside, and for basic stuff like asking directions or ordering food it handled Japanese fine. I didn’t try to run through all 68 languages or anything, but the ones I actually needed worked when I had no bars. That was the part I cared about. So for me it did what I wanted. If you’re planning to spend most of your time somewhere really remote you might want to check the specific language first, but for normal travel it was fine.

[Susan Kennet]

The 68 languages thing is a little misleading, because I remember reading somewhere that only a small set works truly offline. The rest need a connection. I’d rather just use a translation app on my phone and save the money, honestly.

[Chris Reed]

Doubt all 68 work offline.

[Emma Jarris]

I actually took mine to rural Italy last month and it handled Italian fine with no signal at all, so it’s not just the super common languages like French or Spanish. My sister’s unit was a different story though, hers kept asking for a connection on the same trip. Wondering if it depends on when you bought it?

[northshore]

The language list on the box is basically the online count, not the offline one. If you check the settings menu it actually shows you which ones are downloaded for offline use, and mine only had a few preloaded until I added more over wi-fi. So it’s not that they’re hiding it exactly, just that nobody bothers to look there before buying.

[Pete Sterling]

Worth checking what the box actually says before buying. A friend’s unit listed a pile of languages but the manual had a tiny offline section, and it wasn’t the first dozen you’d expect. That gap between the sticker count and the fine print is the whole story.

[Jason Brown]

Mine only did English and Spanish without signal.

[Mike Turner]

The whole offline thing is overblown anyway. I had one of these and it was mediocre even with full signal, so worrying about which languages work without Wi-Fi is kind of missing the point. If you’re going somewhere with no signal, a phrasebook app you downloaded ahead of time does the same job for free.

[Nina K.]

I’d just look at the actual offline menu on the device before trusting any list. Mine showed way fewer options once I turned data off, so the 68 number is really the online side. Doesn’t make it a bad buy, just don’t count on every language working with no signal.

[Tina M]

Mine needed wifi for everything except English.

[T_Holloway]

Figures. I ordered one before this thread existed so I guess I’ll find out the hard way. If the offline menu really is that short I’ll just send it back and stick with my phone.

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