I hardly thought it would be possible to get live translation without the internet! It's fast, easy and you can even look up words. It's like having a dictionary in the palm of your hand but without flipping through pages and feeling like a tourist. It's so clean and fast, I love it!

I didn't use the "in-app" purchases, just tried out the demo for now. It certainly isn't perfect, but what it does do is pretty cool, I tried both the "erase" words and "reverse" words. It seemed to be able to detect words fairly effectively, though it is a bit inconsistent, it'll see and "unsee" various words and phrases, which could be from unsteady hands. It properly read the words though, and reversed them with a very similar font (giving the illusion that the sign/text is seamlessly translated) I currently don't have much need to translate text on the fly, so I won't be buying the in-app translators just yet. However, if the consistency and accuracy of the app can be improved, Im definitely looking into buying. For a free demo, definitely worth the download just play with. For people who want something to translate signs on the fly, expect some bugginess, but overall it will get the job done (though the translator could be completely different)

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." - Arthur C Clarke

This app flat out wowed me the first time I got to play with it. It's like a visual version of Douglas Adam's Babblefish - translating what you see live. It even worked fairly well in motion on a moving train. Again, highly impressed.

if you want the app to be considered useful or good you need to include at least one language with it. Only giving people the option to reverse words or erase then is lame. Make it add based and change your in app purchases so they remove the adds. How do i know its worth the extra purchase for the translation if you don't acutely let me try and translate something. Better luck net time.

I agree with the other reviewer who noted that simply reversing or deleting words is a useless application. Without at least one language included, this is a very slightly amusing app, but nothing that anyone needs or will keep on their phone. Offering the "free" (useless) version as a way to entice people to pay isn't going to work. It just makes Quest Visual (the publishers) look like jerks.

The online ads for this product are sensational, but the product (I'm reviewing version 1.0) is flawed by technical problems (the demo "reverse words" mode does not recognize *very* clear, brightly lit text reliably, and therefore the reversed versions of the words either appear briefly, incorrectly, or not at all), and an overly greedy sales model. In my opinion, the model of selling dictionaries really is a bit greedy. I think the app should inlcude either a single full dictionary with the free app, or, at the least, a limited dictionary (perhaps with commonly used travel-related words?). I also think it's a bit over-the top to charge separately for two-way translation (English -> Spanish and Spanish -> English are separately priced? Come on.) At the present, only the Spanish/English dictionaries are even available, by the way, although I assume that others are surely on the way. As an aside, I also agree with a few of the other reviewers who would like to see an ad-based version of the app which includes a dictionary or two, with the ability to remove the ads via in-app purchase. I know that pricing and content models are something that app makers often wrestle with. I hope those responsible for this app consider a more flexible, user-friendly sales model as well as continuing to work out some of the current version's technical flaws. I look forward to future versions of this product. It really is an amazing concept.

It currently doesn't detect orientation changes, so if you try to use it in landscape mode it won't work. I wish they provided the option of using Google translate instead of their built-in dictionaries. Otherwise, they had better offer a lot more dictionaries or it will not be very useful. Really cool concept though.

The speed at which this works and renders is simply amazing.

I purchased the Spanish>English pack and held it up to a few samples. Nothing happened. The samples were very clear and simple, and I was holding the phone steady. I got the same results with the included "reverse order" demo -- a little bit of flickering on the image, but nothing actually changed. I'm disappointed, but hopeful (based on the positive reviews) that it's just something I'm doing wrong. But then again, it shouldn't be that hard to get it to translate right out of the box.

It's definitely not perfect, but it works well enough to be very useful. Simply amazing.

Simply incredible that it performs with such speed and accuracy. Make sure to hold in portrait orientation, or it won't work (devs, maybe add a landscape mode?).

I *so* wanted this app but alas, I have an older iPhone 3G - which this does not work on. Seriously bummed me out. (Don't tell me to buy a newer phone... I'm unemployed and broke so no new phone is in my immediate future.)

This app is the most practical use of augmented reality I have seen. It feels like it's straight out of the future. I bought the Spanish-to-English version, but not because I really need it, I just wanted to support some amazing software. I'm really hoping they release a German-to-English version in the next couple months. I've got a ten spot already site aside for it. Word Lens doesn't support handwritten text since I assume that is much more difficult to recognize, but I don't really see that posing a problem. Great app, keep up the good work!

To start, you download this "free" app, and it reverses text. Cool party trick, but no practical application. Language translations are $5.00. That's not very much, and I think it's worth the cost for such a powerful app. Currently, only Spanish translation is available. I'm sure they are working on other languages. The translations work best on high-contrast text, preferably in a sans-serif typeface. When it works, it works well. When it does not work, it's useless. This app does not (yet) replace a pocket dictionary on a trip to Mexico or Spain, but I would DEFINITELY have it along on the ride. I can see where it may come in VERY handy on short notice. It's an impressive app.

I have a question. Is this App as awesome as I think it is? and I have a comment. YES!

Looks cool but needs more languages. I'm going to Brasil in a January and could REALLY use Portuguese. :-(

This app is not *free*. Yes, you can download it for free, but it doesn't do what it says it does for free. As if reversing the letters in a word is the same thing as translating into another language and that is an accurate demonstration of how it works. Seriously, folks??

I've been waiting for this app since the day the iPhone was announced. Bravo, you have changed the world.

This app truly makes my iPhone epic!

The future is here. It may not perfectly translate and replace all the words that you show it, but under the right circumstances it works magic!

People who complain that it doesn't include a language need to stop being so cheap. The app shows what it can do with the reverse words suitably. $5 isn't a lot to ask for real functionality -- they could have just charged $5 for it. This is a tremendous bargain for technology like this.

This would be more handy than many of the $8 or $10 dictionaries I have used. I will be awaiting future updates. Also, instead of buying one-direction translation, you should be able to buy a language and go back and forth at will. I live in Poland and this would be really handy for me here and when I travel. My German is rusty and my Czech and Italian are non-exsistant.

This is totally cool...however, to get the actual language versions you have to buy the $4.99 app...the free one is kind of worthless. And, they make you pay $4.99 for translation from English to Spanish and then another $4.99 for the translation from Spanish to English. I like the concept, but they might want to rethink the pricing structure.