In a previous article, we wrote about how online translation services were catching on as the tech available allows them to be more effective, portable and easy to use. SayHi Translate, one of the apps currently offering voice-powered translation, just crossed a significant milestone that indicates users are indeed keen on these kinds of translation services. The app has now provided over 10 million translations since its launch.
SayHi CEO Lee Bossio told BetaKit that along with the milestone, the company is seeing some interesting trends in terms of usage – including greater growth outside of the U.S. Over 50 percent of the app’s downloads now originate in countries other than the U.S., he said, showing that interest is picking up in translation services abroad, despite no real changes in how the app is marketed.
Along with its growth announcement, SayHi is also introducing a redesign of its app today via an update. The updated app is all about providing a better user experience. “It’s a combination of user feedback, along with feedback from some user experience experts who helped us out,” Bosso said. Changes include an increased emphasis on translated text over portions of the screen that show the spoken original, making it much easier to just hold the app up to strangers and have them identify at a glance what it is you’re trying to convey.
The company has even bigger plans on the horizon, literally, since it hopes to bring new distinct features to the iPad version of its app that are tailored to the larger device. Bossio couldn’t say exactly what the company has in mind, but he did say it should provide a different experience for users than the iPhone version, one more tailored to the way people use the tablet vs. their smartphone. SayHi also still aims to deliver an Android version of its app by year end, something it had previously promised users in response to feedback.
SayHi’s progress is a big milestone for online translation, and Bossio said he’s been very surprised at how broad the appeal is, judging by feedback they’re receiving. The need for instant conversational translation appears more universal than anticipated, and that bodes well for future growth.