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Bing Translator hits Windows Phone 8 (pictures)

We take a look at the newest version of the Bing Translator app, available now for Windows Phone 8. While it may not support as many languages as Google Translate, it does have a few big features that are worth seeing.

Jaymar Cabebe
Jaymar Cabebe covers mobile apps and Windows software for CNET. While he may be a former host of the Android Atlas Weekly podcast, he doesn't hate iOS or Mac. Jaymar has worked in online media since 2007.
Jaymar Cabebe
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1 of 7 Screenshot by Jaymar Cabebe/CNET

Welcome to Bing Translator

Bing Translator is sleek and easy to use. Plus, it offers the same range of input types that Google Translate does.
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2 of 7 Screenshot by Jaymar Cabebe/CNET

The basics

Bing's basic text translator is as simple as they come.
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3 of 7 Screenshot by Jaymar Cabebe/CNET

Voice input

In our tests, Bing's voice option performed well, both comprehending spoken-language input and outputting accurate translations.
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4 of 7 Screenshot by Jaymar Cabebe/CNET

Slick picker

Bing's two-column, sliding language picker is significantly easier to use than Google Translate's old-school drop-down menus.
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5 of 7 Screenshot by Jaymar Cabebe/CNET

Augmented-reality translations

Point your camera at legible text written in the specified input language and Bing Translator will overlay its translations right on your screen (if you look closely at this screenshot, you can see the text underneath that's being translated).
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6 of 7 Screenshot by Jaymar Cabebe/CNET

Not quite perfect

While the augmented-reality feature is neat, no doubt, it's got quirks.
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7 of 7 Screenshot by Jaymar Cabebe/CNET

Offline support

With Bing Translator, you can download any of five different language dictionaries and get instant translations while on the go, even without an active data connection. This is a feature that Google Translate users have long been pining for.

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