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Google on the go: How Android and Google Goggles will change travel & help you get by in languages [video]

| 43 comments | Category: tools

Google were clever enough to create an entire Operating System for mobile devices, known as Android. It can be installed on many different devices and because of its openness, you can install some amazing programs – the best of which have been written by Google themselves. These are not new silly games, but very useful ways to use the amazing technology at your fingertips.

In the video below, you can see me demonstrate some of the coolest apps, and how they can seriously help travellers and those wanting to get by in a local language. All of these apps are free downloads for Android devices.

In more detail:

Google Goggles

Goggles uses the camera of your smartphone and searches for the results on the Internet. It sounds so simple and yet the potential for travellers are limitless:

  • Use its image to text conversion to be able to read signs/menus you don’t understand (via Google translate). It recognises fact that there is text in the image and even the language it is written in automatically. This is much quicker than typing it in using a tiny keyboard interface.
  • Find out what the name of the landmark you are looking at is and read up more about it (on Wikipedia etc.) When I’m new in a city, sometimes I’d like to know what this amazing thing I’m looking at is without searching through a guidebook for the right page.
  • Find out how good the book/wine/other product is. Since it recognises logos and other visual queues, you can read reviews etc. before you buy.

This is the best of having the Internet in your pocket – it’s like asking Google to look at what you want information about, rather than writing it. It’s incredible to have this power in your hand. Forget flying cars, Google Goggles makes me feel like I’m really in the 21st century.

Voice recognition in instant Google searches

One thing I absolutely hate doing on my phone is writing. It’s possible to do it with the tiny touch-keyboard, but awkward. That’s why Android’s integrated (and very accurate) voice recognition changes this entirely. It’s quicker to simply speak an SMS rather than write it out. But this isn’t where the real value comes in:

Instant answers on voiced-google searches. I’m not talking about your typical Google searches – although these are just as handy too. Google actually has some searches that give you an answer immediately (without clicking through to the results). This is cool enough as it is searching on your computer, but on a mobile phone when you are out, this saved time makes this feature one of the handiest ones. Here are some examples:

  • Currency conversion. Try it on your computer: search for 400 Argentine pesos in dollars or whatever currencies you wish to change (always [number] [currency 1] in [currency 2]) into Google and you’ll get the up-to-date answer immediately. You can see me demonstrate this in the video with Hungarian forints. I have been using this converter a lot to see precisely what something is costing me.
  • Other conversions. Apparently there are some countries in the world that still use the backward measuring system of feet/pounds/miles/Fahrenheit and all sorts of weird units. If you want to convert to the metric system (or vice versa) then just say it!
  • Calculations. Type 324 multiplied by 14 (or whatever) into Google and you’ll get the results! This is excellent because it is based on how we naturally say it (no symbols required). So just ask your phone to calculate something for you.
  • Definitions. Just say “define [word]” and it will tell you what it means.
  • Time around the world. Say (or type if you are on your computer) Time [city] to see what time it is there right now. Useful if you are going to make an international call and are not sure if it’s too early/late.
  • Weather. Just say/type weather [city] to get a several day forecast.
  • Flight info. Say/type a flight number to see what time it is due to arrive, e.g. Easyjet 4627.

All of these are Google searches that work just as well on computers, but have more potential when no more click-throughs are necessary, and make them handy tools to have on the go. Google have taken it a step further and made many of the phone’s other features voice-activated, so you can just say that you want directions to a particular place and it will come up on the map based on your current GPS location. Google explain many examples of that here.

Google Translate from voice to voice

This one is quite handy for situations where you need to say something spontaneous that isn’t covered by your phrasebook and your level of the language is still quite weak. Just say it to your phone and your phone will say it in the target language!

Of course, this is limited by Google Translate’s efficiency, but for the basics it does a pretty good job at giving useful translations. The voice rendering in major languages like Spanish, French, German and English is very clear. It is also available in other less popular languages, including Hungarian, and is just about understandable in that but still sounds very robotic.

It can never replace the need to learn the local language, but it can be a useful boost – you can listen to the phrase rendered in the target language and try to repeat it yourself instead of showing the phone to a confused local.

Android

Since Android is just an operating system (not a phone), you can buy many phones that come with it pre-installed. The most powerful ones are currently from HTC, but there are other manufacturers that support Android. This means that you can pick your phone based on your budget and hardware requirements but still install many of these cool apps.

It also means you can get a phone that is already unlocked – this makes a huge difference for travellers. Using the apps I did in the video regularly would amount to very expensive data roaming charges if you had to stick to one SIM card. Instead, I buy a new SIM card as soon as I arrive in a country and find out if there are any interesting data set-ups for it.

In Budapest I’m paying €13/$17 a month for 3GB of data on a pre-paid SIM card, that is also my simple SMS/calling number (Android also allow for easy tethering, so I can plug my phone into my laptop and use my 3G Internet on the go without buying a separate USB key for the laptop). There are also cheaper 100MB or 500MB monthly options in Hungary if you don’t use it much. I find this quite cheap, but locked Apple devices don’t let you do break free from who you bought it with.

The interface itself is extremely customisable and most of the coolest apps are completely free. I use my phone to study on the go using Anki for SRS studying. I also found some excellent free dictionaries, although a bookmark to mobile-phone enhanced websites (Sztaki for Hungarian) can go on my main screen if I want to know a good translation of a word.

I have enhanced fluentin3months.com so that it is easier to read on mobile screens, since I am noticing how much this helps when other websites do it.

Lastly, file transfer is way superior to Apple. There are no complex processes to go through or bulky programs like iTunes – I just connect my phone to a computer via USB, drag the files over and then open them. I have been reading ePubs and PDF books (usually with grammar points I need to study) and opening audio to listen to on the go much quicker than the annoying workarounds I had to do when I had an iPhone.

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Anyone who has met me in recent months has seen how cool I think Android is. Many have suggested that I’m secretly working for Google, but I promise – I genuinely do like it! Apple have had their day, and did a good job in setting high standards for others to compete with, but the coolest smartphones are now cheaper, more open, and way more useful.

If you’ve used Android yourself, or have any thoughts on the features mentioned here, let us know in the comments below!

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If you enjoyed this post, you will love my TEDx talk! You can get much better details of how I recommend learning a language if you watch it here.

This article was written by

Comments: If you liked this post or have anything to say, please leave a comment! I love reading them :)
Just keep in mind that I’ll delete any rude, trolling, spammy, irrelevant or way off-topic comments. If you have a general language learning question, please ask it in the forums. Otherwise please use the search tool on the right for any other question not related to this post.

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  • Mark

    You do know that unlocked iPhones exist, right? Like my brother’s iPhone 3G, which he bought on O2 and then asked O2 to unlock (for free) part-way through his contract; and his new iPhone 4, which he bought unlocked direct from Apple, and now uses with a SIM-only tariff on Orange.

    Just because *you* bought an iPhone on a network that locks it, doesn’t mean all iPhones are locked.

    Also, as for transferring files to devices, you really ought to check out Dropbox (dropbox.com) and their Android/iOS software. Then you can get files to it over-the-air, as opposed to having to use a cable – that’s so 20th century, man!

    Oh and you neglected to mention anything about Android’s shortcomings. Things like there being many different versions of the OS out there, and that only some phones can upgrade to some versions etc. Honestly, it’s a bit one-sided. Then again, I guess I’d expect that given your hatred of all things Apple.

  • http://www.fluenteveryyear.com/ Randy (@Yearlyglot)

    There’s some good information in here, but I think you risk alienating too many readers with your anti-Apple, anti-iPhone rhetoric.

    Regarding apps, Google provides some cool apps for Android, but as yet the best 3rd-party apps are on iPhone, because the best 3rd-party developers want to get paid. And most of Google’s apps are also available for iPhone, too.

    Regarding jailbreaking and unlocking, BOTH Android and iPhone are sold “locked” when purchased in the United States, or when purchased through phone carriers in Canada. The iPhone is available in Canada “unlocked” if you purchase it from an Apple store. I don’t know about Android. In Europe, laws (and phone carriers) are different, and I expect that whichever one you buy will be “unlocked”, though there might be some areas where you still get “locked” phones through carriers. (And before you tell me you bought yours locked, I suggest we deal with the present, not the past. Present day, iPhone 4 is sold unlocked in Europe.)

    With regard to “openness” of the platform, Android isn’t technically “open” either, and still needs to be jailbroken. The significant difference is that jailbreaking isn’t necessary on Android to install various apps, and there isn’t the strict app approval process for Android. But this is both a blessing and a curse, because without the app approval, there’s nothing to prevent unskilled developers from making apps that kill your battery in the background. Battery-suck isn’t a big problem in iPhones.

    The bottom line is that they’re both good phones and good platforms, but with a few differences. Personally, I think they’re both amazing and I imagine the average person would be just as happy with either one. (Again, this is as of iOS4. Previous iPhone versions had more restrictive problems.)

    I think it would be more productive to describe a positive Android experience without ever mentioning Apple at all, because then your readers could decide for themselves whether what you say is interesting enough to tempt a switch. But right now, it’s mostly just preaching, and that’s a huge turn-0ff.

  • http://www.fluenteveryyear.com/ Randy (@Yearlyglot)

    PS: The term “scare tactics” comes hauntingly back into my mind…

  • http://tomfrompoland.com Tom from Poland

    Hi Benny, very useful and interesting tips, I think use Android with power of Google is a huge step to travel easier. Which mobile phone do you use? Nexus One?

  • http://twitter.com/daniel_hers Daniel Hershcovich

    I really liked your post, not because it revealed something new to me – I know about all the apps you talked about and use them regularly – but because it’s nice to see there’s someone else excited about the things I’m excited about. I also have a Nexus One and I’m a big fan of Google’s technology, and I use it a lot to help me with studying languages which is a hobby of mine I really like.

    I don’t travel as often as you do, but I happen to see and hear a lot of written and spoken text in foreign languages, and I use Google Translate on my Android phone a lot to learn the phrases I come by or produce sentences I wonder how to say in another language. However, I don’t use the 3G network because I think it’s very expensive – I disabled that option in my phone and I only use the internet when I have wi-fi access. Now, seeing all the nice uses you found to your phone while travelling (in places that probably don’t always have wi-fi access), I’m considering it again. I just really don’t like talking with my service provider – it always finds new ways to charge me with monthly payments for services I never agreed to subscribe to… (that’s the way it is with all service providers here in Israel. I don’t know if it’s the same in other countries).

    Anyway, do you think it’s realistic to buy a new 3G SIM card when travelling to another country, even if it’s just for a couple of weeks? What do you do about your phone number (that probably changes every time)? I’d really love to hear more from your experience with this.

  • Anonymous

    I feel completely out of touch with my Nokia haha.

    Phones are probably the most amazing technology of recent years, and Apple have to have credit with pushing it forward (if not with technology then with marketing).

    I saw pictures of a concept phone last night. It was a malleable clear glass thing (seriously looks like just a phone sized piece of glass when it’s not on) that you can squeeze to activate functions, and you can also breathe on it (steaming it up) and writing in your own breath which turns into text.

    I think it’s great we can argue about what’s better or worse, but we should all stop occasionally and appreciate just how far they’ve come. The main thing phones should excel at (compared to laptops) is communication. Maps is the most recent perfected technology for communication, I can see language translation being next, clearly we’re already getting there.

  • http://www.fluentin3months.com/ Benny the language hacker

    Randy, I thought you said you weren’t an apple fanboy? This coming to their rescue when this post was about the benefits of Android makes it seem otherwise.
    Jailbreaking my iPhone was a simple process, but I shouldn’t need to unfuck my phone’s OS. I haven’t hacked/jailbroken my Android at all and it worked fantastic out of the box with things Apple only gives to the elite few (like tethering – shouldn’t I choose what should and shouldn’t work on my phone?)
    Battery life is a hardware issue. In my iPhone it took several clicks to turn down brightness, turn off wifi, and disable push updates, but I can do all of that in less than a second on Android. This is way more efficient for battery life. Anything else is nothing to do with Android and depends on the hardware so that complaint is better aimed at particular devices. Something will come out before iPhone 4GS or iPhone 4-delux or whatever that beats Apple’s battery life and supports Android.
    You seem to be really taking the “scare tactic” thing to amazing limits Randy. You were genuinely trying to scare people with infrequent grammar issues on your post – I mentioned briefly about how Apple gave me a bad experience for my phone, there are no scare tactics here. This post is about the benefits of Android – and mentioning the alternative was part of that for comparative purposes.
    You do plenty of preaching on your blog – you are on a vendetta against Esperanto, bringing it up every chance you get. This post wasn’t preaching anything – it’s about a genuinely useful aspect of Android you have totally ignored in your reply.

  • http://www.fluentin3months.com/ Benny the language hacker

    Yes! I think they discontinued it, but I find it to be a fantastic phone :) I love having the Google logo printed on the back :P

  • http://www.fluentin3months.com/ Benny the language hacker

    It’s a pity they charge you so much! 3G access has been cheap everywhere I’ve lived apart from the states so it has not been a problem to use the best of the technology.

    It’s DEFINITELY realistic to buy a new SIM card even for just a couple of weeks. A SIM card can cost just €5, sometimes even coming already with the same amount in credit, making it practically free. Data is the default in some cases and in others you have to activate it, but it’s rarely expensive and works amazing well even for short term and on pre-paid.

    I have a little collection of SIM cards I travel with as a memento. :) This isn’t expensive!! You’ll notice if you read about my first week in Germany that getting a SIM card is pretty much the first thing I do on arrival. Having the 3G connection and using Google maps and other features to get around makes my life a lot easier!

  • http://www.fluentin3months.com/ Benny the language hacker

    Yes, as I said I dislike Apple, but they did a great job at raising the bar for others to aim above them and it has ultimately led to the best advances in technology :)

  • http://www.fluenteveryyear.com/ Randy (@Yearlyglot)

    Oh come on now. Calling me a “fanboy” is completely dismissing every thing I said. I’m not coming to their rescue. Don’t have to.

    And the “you do plenty of preaching” remark is asinine. If you disagree with my posts, you’re welcome to tell me so. And I know first hand that you do so. But playing the “you do it so it’s okay if I do it” card is ignorant.

    Anyhow, its your blog. If you want to be known as the Apple-basher, be my guest. Just as I’m perfectly comfortable with the reputation for being an Esperanto basher. But hey… if someone offered me a more constructive way to say what I wanted to say about Esperanto without it appearing to be an attack, you can believe I’d at least pay attention to what they said.

  • http://www.fluentin3months.com/ Benny the language hacker

    Randy, this post is about ANDROID not Apple. Apple’s many drawbacks are a minor afterthought after my 14 or so months using their device every day. I don’t need to be the Apple-basher because this may be the only post where I ever share my dislike of Apple. I won’t turn it into a series. People get that I hate Apple and won’t need to be constantly reminded of that… the constant reminding is preaching in my opinion. I’m certainly not taking a leaf out of your book on this and doing it because you do. A casual mention when talking about something else much more important is not preaching.

    You tell me to pay attention to what you said, and yet you don’t seem to have paid attention to anything in this post apart from my brief mentions of Apple. This tunnel vision is why I called you a fanboy. This post is about Google Goggles and the many useful things Android has.

    I used an Apple device for about 14 months so I can say with confidence that Android is superior for my purposes.

  • http://www.fluenteveryyear.com/ Randy (@Yearlyglot)

    And this is why I suggested paying attention to what I said, since my very first sentence was “There’s some good information in here, but I think you risk alienating too many readers with your anti-Apple, anti-iPhone rhetoric.”

    Now, I really don’t care to argue with you. It’s your site. Bash Apple all you want. And bash me too. I’m not the type to get upset. It’s just the web.

  • http://rhinospike.com Peter (rhinospike.com)

    I’ve been an Android fan for a while. I actually read the mobile version of your Language Hacking Guide on my Android phone. =) I also use Anki’s web version from my phone when I’m away from my computer, and this is actually an enjoyable experience because the Android web browser is so good. I’ve played with Google Goggles before but I didn’t realize it also translated text.

    Also, what app are you using for the voice translation? I don’t seem to have that one.

  • http://www.fluentin3months.com/ Benny the language hacker

    Sorry Randy but that’s a generic nice comment and doesn’t talk about what the post is about. It’s a pleasantry before going off on a rant.

    If you don’t care to argue with me, then why all this condescending language? Suggesting that I pay attention, am ignorant for throwing your own word “preaching” back at you etc. I’m being aggressive in my replies because you brought this fight to me. This post isn’t about Apple.

    This drive to defend Apple is another reason I dislike the Apple community so much. It’s as much a religion as you claim Esperanto has been from your perspective of angry comments you’ve received.

  • http://www.fluentin3months.com/ Benny the language hacker

    Haha that’s great! That’s why I made an ePub of it – easy to read on the go :)

    I don’t use Anki’s web version though. Do you think I should switch? I find the app serves my purposes well.

    The voice translation is just the Google Translate app ;) Google Goggles will translate text as long as you have the latest version.

  • http://www.fluenteveryyear.com/ Randy (@Yearlyglot)

    I apologize. I can see – looking back – that the length and depth of my initial comment apparently sends the wrong message, regardless of the words I chose. I probably could have left it at the introductory sentence, as that says all I wanted to say.

    I still think you’ve overreacted, but I guess I can see where you felt that I was “bringing a fight”.

  • http://www.fluenteveryyear.com/ Randy (@Yearlyglot)

    PS. It wasn’t meant to be a “rant”, and I’m sorry that you perceived it in that way.

  • http://twitter.com/daniel_hers Daniel Hershcovich

    Great! Thanks a lot for your answer. I feel much more optimistic now :)

  • Stuey

    I’m currently loving Ankidroid: Anki flashcards on your mobile. With the latest version you can sync the decks on your phone, your computer and online. This is currently my favourite app!

  • Stuey

    I’m currently loving Ankidroid: Anki flashcards on your mobile. With the latest version you can sync the decks on your phone, your computer and online. This is currently my favourite app!

  • hnedka

    I can’t really comment on Android, but high-end Symbian Nokias (and HTC) had better functions at least 3 years ago than iPhone has now and no jailbreaking etc. was/is necessary. Consider the following:
    1) battery – if I travel/go to nature, I need enough power to sustain without power source (to recharge my battery). With Nokia, I just take a charged backup battery (just like I do with camera). With iPhone? You would need a backup phone. And this applies even for one-day trips, if you turn on GPS and maybe also MP3 player.

    2) maps – what I usually prefer are offline maps of my choice (it doesn’t cost any money for connection and works without connection – usefull in a foreign country). I just download area from Google Maps using specialized software, upload it to phone and I’m ready to go. I can also switch between various maps. It takes some work on user’s side, but is way better than relying on one type of online maps.

    Then there are things like absence of multitasking, mass storage, ability to send data using BT etc. etc. etc.

    Apple may be better for some basic users, but definitely not for advanced users, who are willing to spend some time learning and discovering their toy.

    And Apple reminds me, too, of a religion, because they never admit that their phone could have any flaws and some other phone could do this or that better.

  • hnedka

    I can’t really comment on Android, but high-end Symbian Nokias (and HTC) had better functions at least 3 years ago than iPhone has now and no jailbreaking etc. was/is necessary. Consider the following:
    1) battery – if I travel/go to nature, I need enough power to sustain without power source (to recharge my battery). With Nokia, I just take a charged backup battery (just like I do with camera). With iPhone? You would need a backup phone. And this applies even for one-day trips, if you turn on GPS and maybe also MP3 player.

    2) maps – what I usually prefer are offline maps of my choice (it doesn’t cost any money for connection and works without connection – usefull in a foreign country). I just download area from Google Maps using specialized software, upload it to phone and I’m ready to go. I can also switch between various maps. It takes some work on user’s side, but is way better than relying on one type of online maps.

    Then there are things like absence of multitasking, mass storage, ability to send data using BT etc. etc. etc.

    Apple may be better for some basic users, but definitely not for advanced users, who are willing to spend some time learning and discovering their toy.

    And Apple reminds me, too, of a religion, because they never admit that their phone could have any flaws and some other phone could do this or that better.

  • http://www.fluentin3months.com/ Benny the language hacker

    Agreed about Apple fanboys religious-like fanaticism. It’s annoying.
    The battery issue is quoted a lot, but I too have a second battery I got for €20 off e-bay. I’ve only needed to use it once so far (when travelling and using GPS etc. a lot). Not being able to replace a battery is 20th century thinking on Apple’s part.
    Although I do like online maps myself (they work very similarly on Android as they do on the iPhone, but slightly better because of the improved Google integration) – as I said in the post, what I pay for data connectivity is minimal.
    Mass storage is another good point. I have a spare micro SD card that I can fill up with movies etc. if I want. I just have to push it in and I’m good to go, without needing to go back to my computer.

  • Cference

    A Benny, a chara

    Really great video, mate. I sent you a message concerning your language program on Facebook… I hope that you get a chance to answer it.

    The last bit of the vid… where were you. Somewhere in Latin America? The bar looked cool and the artwork (Mayan) sort of familiar.

    Le meas,
    Chris

  • kim

    Thanks for sharing this; this is exactly what I have always wanted to know! You are incredible!
    *kiss kiss*
    What’s the carrier you can use in US with this phone, I mean without a contract plan?

  • http://www.chengduliving.com Charlie

    I’m really glad that Google decided to pioneer the mobile OS space by creating and continuing to develop Android so vigorously. You make some great points and everyone benefits from being able to choose between the two platforms.

    With that said, I must disagree with many of the points that you make here. Especially with the conclusion that Android phones are flat out better than the iPhone, because I think that simply is not true. Objectively, I’d have to say that the iPhone is simply a far better experience. You can test this out by putting it in the hands of a small child or a grandmother who’s never used a smart phone. The iPhone is simply a more intuitive and next generation platform and it benefits from a lot of advantages that Android doesn’t have since it’s compromised by so many devices (which in the end amounts to one of its greatest weaknesses). But all of this is moot since this the major point here should be:

    The iPhone is the best platform available for learning languages.

    It far, far surpasses what’s available on Android. The app store (not the technology, design, or consistency) continues to be the greatest pull toward the iPhone. Everything you want is available on it. Google Goggles is coming to iPhone as I’m sure you’ve learned by now.

    As a final note, I’m surprised that you criticize the iPhone so fiercely from the vantage point of… wait for it… the Nexus One. That phone was a complete flop and it’s no surprise – it really kind of sucks. I have one in my office and none of us have any desire to use it at all, really. We develop mobile applications for iPhone so you can see where my allegiance is, but I’d be happy to switch sides when I think Android is the better option. The thing is that it’s just not there yet.

    Great blog by the way. I’m really interested in the language learning capabilities of these emerging mobile platforms: http://www.chengduliving.com/studying-chinese-with-an-iphone-or-ipod-touch

    • http://www.chengduliving.com Charlie

      Check out this article, it addresses the author of this post almost directly: http://techcrunch.com/2010/09/05/apple-android/

      “While I obviously understand that people have different tastes, I can’t see how you can objectively say that the overall experience of using an Android phone isn’t worse than using an iPhone. There are a dozen or more elements that are better about the iPhone. Everything from the big: the App Store versus the Android Market (from the consumer perspective) — to the little: the multi-touch and overall touchscreen responsiveness.

      Even the most diehard Android loyalists I know (like Jason and Mike) will readily admit that the iPhone offers a better user experience. So why do they love Android (again, besides the lack of AT&T requirement)? The openness. They hate that you can’t get Google Voice on the iPhone (I hate it too). And in general they hate Apple’s restrictive policies for the App Store (which I don’t like either). But those are problems that most regular consumers don’t think about — or realize exist at all.”

      • http://www.fluentin3months.com/ Benny the language hacker

        “Even the most diehard Android loyalists I know” – doesn’t sound like much of a “diehard loyalist” if they say the main competitor is better. The author is kidding themselves calling one another “diehard loyalists”. I’m not even a diehard Google/open loyalist (if I was, I would have gotten the first Android systems instead of the iPhone).
        I feel I have a more balanced view because I used Apple’s iPhone for more than a year every day and with lots of apps and I can very confidently say that the user interface is way superior on Android. I had to use an iPhone the other day and found it very frustrating that there were so many things I couldn’t do within the interface thanks to Apple’s obsession with having just one button. It’s frustrating for me to use an Apple device, and that’s independent even of the closed way the system works and Apple’s dictatorship over what counts and doesn’t count for apps the end user wants.

  • http://www.chengduliving.com Charlie

    I’m really glad that Google decided to pioneer the mobile OS space by creating and continuing to develop Android so vigorously. You make some great points and everyone benefits from being able to choose between the two platforms.

    With that said, I must disagree with many of the points that you make here. Especially with the conclusion that Android phones are flat out better than the iPhone, because I think that simply is not true. Objectively, I’d have to say that the iPhone is simply a far better experience. You can test this out by putting it in the hands of a small child or a grandmother who’s never used a smart phone. The iPhone is simply a more intuitive and next generation platform and it benefits from a lot of advantages that Android doesn’t have since it’s compromised by so many devices (which in the end amounts to one of its greatest weaknesses). But all of this is moot since this the major point here should be:

    The iPhone is the best platform available for learning languages.

    It far, far surpasses what’s available on Android. The app store (not the technology, design, or consistency) continues to be the greatest pull toward the iPhone. Everything you want is available on it. Google Goggles is coming to iPhone as I’m sure you’ve learned by now.

    As a final note, I’m surprised that you criticize the iPhone so fiercely from the vantage point of… wait for it… the Nexus One. That phone was a complete flop and it’s no surprise – it really kind of sucks. I have one in my office and none of us have any desire to use it at all, really. We develop mobile applications for iPhone so you can see where my allegiance is, but I’d be happy to switch sides when I think Android is the better option. The thing is that it’s just not there yet.

    Great blog by the way. I’m really interested in the language learning capabilities of these emerging mobile platforms: http://www.chengduliving.com/studying-chinese-with-an-iphone-or-ipod-touch

  • http://www.fluentin3months.com/ Benny the language hacker

    If you contacted me on my personal Facebook profile I would have ignored it. I only use Facebook to talk to people I know in person and say that very clearly on my profile to stop people from friending me and using Facebook to ask me language related questions. Please use the contact-me form on my site if you’d like to talk to me.
    In the last bit of the video I was in a Mexican restaurant in Berlin – the sun was shining too strong to make the screen visible outside.

    • Cference

      A Benny, a chara

      Sorry mate, I mean no offense at all. I guess I didn’t read as thoroughly as I should have. I will contact you in the way that you have requested. Again, sorry.

      The bit in the Mexican restaurant looks Mayan. I am in Cancun… there is Mayan stuff all around. :)

      Le meas,
      Chris

  • http://www.fluentin3months.com/ Benny the language hacker

    I don’t remember who I went with when I was in San Francisco for a month, but most of them have a pre-paid option. It’s just WAY MORE expensive than other countries – you pay to receive calls for example and I find this ridiculous (that is never the case in Europe). America has an obsession with contracts and this is a problem for travellers like me.
    Glad you enjoyed the post :)

  • Edu Zamora

    Hi Benny!

    I am a long time reader of your blog, an Android user/fan myself and I happen also to be one of the lead developers of AnkiDroid (Anki for Android). So… I don’t think you should switch :P I did not know you use regularly our app and I only can say that I feel flattered for it.

    About the post, I already know and own all of the apps you talk about in your video but I never thought about using them for language learning like you did. Thanks for your great ideas!

    And thanks also to Stuey for his kind words about our app ^^

    If anybody else wants to know about AnkiDroid, you can find it on Android Market searching for “Anki” or in the project page: http://code.google.com/p/ankidroid/

    And if you have any problem with it just let me know ;)

    Keep up the good work!

  • http://howlearnspanish.com/ Andrew

    I love google and can’t wait to get one of the Android phones (I’ll take one of them over an iPhone any day), but I think it would be prudent to point out that all of this stuff is only useful to a traveler where they can get internet access via a cell signal–still plenty of places in the world that don’t have 3G yet, you know?

    Cheers,
    Andrew

  • http://www.fluentin3months.com/ Benny the language hacker

    I was in India last year with an Edge connection, I barely even noticed how slow it was for basic Google searches, and it would only take slightly longer for maps. Everywhere has Edge now, and 3G is in many places already and coming to the others soon. Same with Thailand this year – I used my iPhone all the time there on Edge and it was no hassle. That’s no excuse I’m afraid.

  • http://howlearnspanish.com/ Andrew

    I don’t doubt that most major cities internationally have cellular internet capability, but surely the rural areas don’t all have it–rural Thailand/India/Brazil etc. don’t have it, do they?

  • http://www.fluentin3months.com/ Benny the language hacker

    Nowadays, everywhere that has mobile phone connectivity (i.e. most places including villages) has Internet access, even if it just uses the 2nd generation technology.
    If you want Internet while hiking up Mount Everest or through Brazilian rainforests you’re out of luck, but that’s an extreme example and not relevant to most people. The only places I didn’t have access in India was on the train in the middle of nowhere.

  • http://howlearnspanish.com/ Andrew

    Ok cool, thanks.

  • http://www.facebook.com/sjnsmith12 Sam Smith

    Hey, I’m currently on a placement in France and I’ve simply bought an Orange sim card but nowadays (which I didn’t realise), the credit only lasts for a certain period of time but I think it may be too expensive to go on a contract whilst I’m out here, any tips or advice for what phone/network I should use? I’ve always wanted a HTC or a Blackberry but I don’t feel it would be worth it whilst I’m out here..

    Thanks =)

  • http://www.facebook.com/sjnsmith12 Sam Smith

    Hey, I’m currently on a placement in France and I’ve simply bought an Orange sim card but nowadays (which I didn’t realise), the credit only lasts for a certain period of time but I think it may be too expensive to go on a contract whilst I’m out here, any tips or advice for what phone/network I should use? I’ve always wanted a HTC or a Blackberry but I don’t feel it would be worth it whilst I’m out here..

    Thanks =)

    • http://www.fluentin3months.com/ Benny Lewis

      “whilst I’m out here”. Why not just buy it and use it later too? As a long term investment it could be worth it. Unlocked devices are easy to come across in France, and will work fine when you get back home and put a SIM card in them.

  • http://www.facebook.com/sjnsmith12 Sam Smith

    Hey, I’m currently on a placement in France and I’ve simply bought an Orange sim card but nowadays (which I didn’t realise), the credit only lasts for a certain period of time but I think it may be too expensive to go on a contract whilst I’m out here, any tips or advice for what phone/network I should use? I’ve always wanted a HTC or a Blackberry but I don’t feel it would be worth it whilst I’m out here..

    Thanks =)