mayaskThere’s no shortage of dedicated gadgets specifically designed for translation. Timekettle itself offers a range of accessories (several of which are handheld) to bridge the communication gap between two very distant languages. You’ve probably even heard of AI and translation in the same sentence after ChatGPT made a big splash in late 2022.
But the X1 AI Hub, the company claims, takes a different approach than many existing options. It’s an independent solution that currently supports up to 40 languages and 93 accents, with more to be added through future software updates. It even works offline (for select languages) and allows for translations through a loudspeaker or a pair of earphones that come with it.
Each X1 hub has a unique phone number that can be used for free, unlimited calls without any geographical restrictions as long as you have internet connectivity. What’s more, all translations, whether in real time or during phone calls, are end-to-end encrypted, ensuring they can’t be intercepted or interpreted by anyone along the way. All these features are packed into a somewhat chunky yet still pocketable gadget that runs on Android, making software updates a breeze for both the company and the users. It also supports interaction via touchscreen.
Speaking of its physical attributes, the Timekettle X1 is a rectangular block with nearly the same length but half the width of a regular slab phone. These dimensions make it easy to hold and use with one hand.
The first thing you’ll notice is the 3.4-inch touchscreen, which serves as the primary – but not the only – means of interacting with the translator. There’s a multipurpose, capacitive, nontactile button beside the display that usually triggers a “back” gesture, but can also be held to activate the instant translation mode that I’ll discuss later. Two sets of tactile buttons are on the side for standard functions like power and volume up and down. A tiny mic is located next to these.
The bottom of the X1 hub has a USB-C port for charging and a speaker strip. The area also features a few connection pads for pogo pins, which comes in handy when using a dedicated dock (sold separately) that can charge up to five X1 hubs simultaneously. This part of the X1 hub also functions as a tray that uses a push mechanism to open or close. The tray is used to store the earphones, which are part of the gadget and are used to deliver translated voices directly to your ears.
On the exact opposite edge are two more cutouts – presumably for more speakers – and an NFC contact point that can be used to pair two X1 hubs instantly.
The earbuds that come with the package are in a partial in-ear design and, therefore, don’t offer any noise isolation. While this might be a bit distracting, it’s a conscious choice to ensure the voices of other people aren’t muted. The half-in-ear design makes the earbuds more prone to falling out, and Timekettle’s inclusion of earhooks and silicone pads to keep them steady is thoughtful. However, the fact that the earbuds need to be placed back inside the device when not in use means it’s easier to lose the hooks, and I actually ended up not using them at all.
I still wish there was a way to pair custom earphones with the hub, but the company tells me they’ve specifically tuned the noise-suppression algorithms based on the drivers of these earbuds. Hence, the choice not to support third-party listening solutions is also intentional as it could interfere with the reception.
The interface is really easy to understand and interact with. Even though it’s still based on the outdated Android 10, the company says they’ll keep pushing regular updates to the interface over the years, mainly to improve the algorithm’s vocabulary and its understanding of slang and accents. While it would be nice to see some visual changes to the interface, the company doesn’t make any claims in that regard.
The Timekettle Interpreter can be deployed in several ways to make multilingual conversations seamless and effortless. While all modes essentially serve the same purpose – translating spoken words into your preferred language – each is optimized for different scenarios. Depending on the mode, you can use one or multiple Timekettle X1 hubs to interact with others.
The first mode is designed for intimate in-person conversations between just two people. You put one of the earphones in your ear and share the other with the other person. You can assign different languages to each earphone and then set the hub aside (but within range for the earphones to stay connected).
The earphones listen and then relay the message back to the hub, which takes about a second to translate. The translated words are then transmitted back to the other earphone instantly. All of this happens while the entire conversation is transcribed and shown on the X1 hub’s display.
The translations in this mode are usually accurate, but not particularly outstanding. This mode requires you to have a sufficient distance between the two participants to prevent their voices from interfering with each other’s earphones. If they are sitting close by, the hub may not accurately pick up words or sometimes it’ll understand correctly but then override it with something less meaningful.
The next mode is purely for listening to another person speak without having to talk yourself. In this mode, you choose the languages, place the hub closer to the audio source, and then tuck both earphones inside your ears.
The application is straightforward and the results are as expected. Since the microphones on the earphones aren’t engaged and not competing with each other, speech flows more smoothly.
It’s worth noting that while translations start instantly – and can be seen on the display – the X1 hub needs a one-second to two-second break to start playing the translated words in the earphones. This can make it a bit difficult to understand the context, especially when the speaker doesn’t know you need them to pause for a bit for your translation device to work. Once it starts, though, it can continue without interruptions. But the translated speech reaches your ears a few seconds late, which again makes it a bit jittery.
To be fair, this is faster and more accurate than what most smartphones offer. As I mentioned, it works fine once the speaker takes a short break. Therefore, this mode is effective for any online talks or presentations you might attend. It’s not very practical for watching a movie or TV show in another language because the translated speech sounds very mechanical without any emotional or linguistic nuances for different characters. The company says these features will be added in a future update, but I’ll reserve my judgment until I try them myself.
Unlike the previous two modes that are suitable for quieter environments, Ask & Go is better suited for louder, more outdoor settings. More importantly, it truly takes advantage of the handheld design, allowing for quick and convenient usage.
You can set the language once and start the mode to interact without having to share earphones. The Timekettle X1 hub will use the external microphone to listen to both languages and then play the translated version through the loudspeakers. Once the language is set, you can even switch this mode simply by holding the capacitive button on the front, making it the quickest and easiest mode to use on the translator.
More importantly, this mode allows more than just two users to participate in a conversation and automatically detects when one of the two selected languages is being spoken. This is especially useful when you’re traveling to a foreign country and need to interact with a local in a social setting, such as on the street.
While the functionality is similar to what you can achieve with a phone, the speed – and the surprisingly improved accuracy compared to modes that require the earphones – makes this feature very appealing.
Another notable – and perhaps a standout – feature of the Timekettle X1 Interpreter hub is its ability to make multilingual voice calls like regular internet calls. Each unit is assigned a six-digit phone number that can be used to call another unit anywhere in the world as long as they are connected to the internet. This facility is currently free of charge and offers near-instant translation.
To test this functionality, I spoke with Leal Tian, the CEO and co-founder of Timekettle, using the voice call feature along with a muted Zoom call. During this call, Tian spoke in Chinese while I spoke in English. Our conversation covering topics such as the gadget’s utility, the use of machine learning, and the company’s future happened completely in the two separate languages. The translation flow was mostly smooth, but there were a few instances of repetition, especially when the device was reattempting to translate something in the middle of a sentence. This caused some friction, but 90% of our chat was seamless.
As you would expect, this can be a game-changer for enterprises, especially if you work with a team of people from different regions.
The Timekettle X1 AI Interpreter hub feels like a practical solution to bridge communication gaps, especially in enterprise settings. A key aspect, as indicated by its name, is its reliance on AI. During my conversation with the founder of Timekettle, I asked about the role AI plays on the device to understand whether this is truly a feature or if the company is just capitalizing on it. Here’s what I was told:
The X1 AI Interpreter hub mainly relies on two language models. The first one is called TurboFast, which allows simultaneous word-by-word translation in both languages. According to Timekettle, it chooses a word-by-word approach instead of a per-sentence approach to reduce waiting time while one of the users is speaking. The other model is called BoostClean, a statistical model designed to clean up errors in a data set and suppress background noise.
These data models, according to Tian, are constantly updated on the server side without using any private data from the users – to ensure that the gadget won’t eavesdrop on your confidential conversations. I was also informed that the company is currently evaluating the use of custom translations on each device to allow users to register and translate technical jargon or any professional terms used in very specific contexts. This might be included in a future update.
Humans are usually most expressive in their native languages, and that’s why translation is crucial for understanding different perspectives. At the same time, an enormous and constantly evolving library of different languages aided by AI solves many problems with direct translation tools, especially on phones.
The Timekettle’s extensive list of features further helps facilitate communication in various scenarios. This becomes even more exciting when we consider the speed of translations. In theory, this sounds like an indispensable tool, especially for business settings. However, some flaws prevent it from being as effective as the company claims.
The X1 hub still has some operational issues, especially with repeated phrases and out-of-context translations. These can disrupt conversations and potentially have a negative impact on the outcome. The other concern is its high price: $[price], which can add up to a significant expense whether you’re a small startup looking to impress international clients or a large corporation aiming to engage C-suite executives with an easier handshake followed by a friendly chuckle.
Surely, this is less expensive when you factor in the lifetime costs and the language limitations of hiring a human interpreter. However, a human’s expertise, even if it’s just one language, can’t be surpassed by a handheld gadget. A human can add more nuances to conversations or even avoid direct translations to avoid conflict by sensing the emotions behind the speech – something technology currently can’t achieve. The Timekettle hub, at best, can assist human interpreters.
In addition to functional issues, the Timekettle AI Interpreter can still feel lacking, and I have two ideas for the brand to implement to improve it. First, the gadget needs an auto-detection feature so users don’t always have to manually select languages before starting a conversation. Secondly, I would really like to use it with a voice assistant so I don’t have to fiddle with the menu options, especially since there’s limited space on that small screen.
While I won’t be as critical of the Timekettle X1 AI hub as many reviewers have been of the Humane AI pin – simply because it doesn’t reach that level of theoretical groundbreaking prowess – I hope the company addresses some of these concerns. That way, it would be easier to justify this high price and actually recommend it to my friends and colleagues who love to engage in corporate talk.
