Waverly Labs attended CES 2020 to show off its upcoming Ambassador Interpreter device. This exciting tool allows you to converse fluidly with people who speak other languages using just an earpiece and smartphone app.

We spoke with one of the developers at CES using the app and found the experience to be quite fluid. He spoke in his native Russian and we heard the English translation within a moment. The screen also displays a transcription of the text in the speaker's language.

Ambassador-Interpreter-CES2020-01

This short delay was likely due to the poor internet speed on the CES showfloor; he assured us that the translation is near-instantaneous on a better connection. This is because the translation takes place in the cloud, not on the device itself.

At launch, the translator will support 20 languages, including the following:

  • English
  • French
  • German
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Russian
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Dutch
  • Hebrew

In addition to these languages, 42 dialects work with the device. This means it can distinguish between US English and UK English, for example.

On the technical side, the device comes in black and red colors. It features both continuous and push-to-talk translation modes. Waverly Labs states the device lasts for up to six hours on a single charge. And if you like, you can even use up to four units to converse in four different languages.

Whether you're a professional who needs to work with people who speak other languages or are traveling to a foreign country for pleasure, you'll appreciate this device. When we spoke the developer at CES, he mentioned that his idea for the device came from his journey to learn English.

Ambassador-Interpreter-CES2020-02

The company expects to ship the Ambassador Interpreter in March of 2020 at a retail price of $199. This will include two units. A free smartphone app is also required, which will offer all of its primary features for free. A subscription will only be required for supplemental features, like downloading a transcription of the conversation.

Whether you need to speak in other languages for work or wish you were bilingual for fun, this is an exciting device!