Pocketalk or the phone you already have
Pocketalk sells a pocket translator with its own mobile data. Nualingo is an interpreter that opens in your phone's browser. Both read the translation aloud. Which one fits depends on whether you want another device to carry.
Try Nualingo free for three minutesNo account and nothing to download. Three minutes a day on each device.
What Pocketalk offers
This is from Pocketalk's own pages and quick guide, checked in October 2026. The Pocketalk S2 costs $299.95 and the S2 Plus $349.95. Each comes with five years of mobile data in more than 170 countries, and Pocketalk says there are no subscription fees. It lists 92 or more languages, and Thai can be spoken to it and read aloud by it. To talk, you hold the button, speak and let go, and it works out which of your two languages you used. It translates over Wi-Fi, a hotspot or its own mobile data.
Side by side
| Question | Pocketalk S2 | Nualingo |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $299.95, or $349.95 for the S2 Plus, with five years of data | Three minutes free a day on each device, then plans from $5.99 a month. No weekly plans. |
| What you carry | A handheld device, as well as your phone | Nothing extra. It runs in your phone's browser |
| Languages | 92 or more, Thai included | Any two of 60, Thai included |
| Taking turns | Hold the button, speak, let go | No buttons. It tells who is speaking from the language |
| Connection | Wi-Fi, a hotspot or its own mobile data | Your phone's data or Wi-Fi |
What you get with Nualingo
- Nothing to buy up front. Three minutes a day are free on each device, and plans start at $5.99 a month.
- Nobody holds a button. The phone sits between you and follows whoever is speaking.
- Every sentence stays on screen with its translation under it, so you can scroll back and check what was said.
- A conversation is kept only if you choose to keep it, and you can delete it later.
When Pocketalk is the better choice
Pocketalk makes more sense if you would rather not use your own phone, or you travel without a local SIM card, since its five years of data cover more than 170 countries. A device you hand over also suits a hotel desk or a school office better than someone's own phone. Nualingo costs less to start and adds nothing to your pocket. Both need a connection.
Questions people ask
- How much does Pocketalk cost?
- On Pocketalk's site in October 2026, the S2 is $299.95 and the S2 Plus $349.95, each with five years of mobile data. Nualingo has three free minutes a day on each device, then plans from $5.99 a month.
- Does the Pocketalk S2 work without internet?
- No. It translates over Wi-Fi, a hotspot or the mobile data it comes with. Nualingo also needs a connection, through your phone.
- Does Pocketalk speak Thai?
- Yes. Pocketalk's language list shows Thai for speaking and for reading the translation aloud. Nualingo also does Thai, as one of its 60 languages.
- Do I need to buy anything to use Nualingo?
- No. It runs in the browser of the phone you already have, Android or iPhone, and the other person installs nothing.
- Do we pass the phone back and forth with Nualingo?
- No. Put the phone between you. Both people talk to it, one at a time, and each sees and hears the translation.
Where these facts come from
Try it before you buy a device
Open Nualingo in your phone's browser, choose your two languages and talk for three minutes. No account needed.