Timekettle alternative: a link instead of $449 earbuds
Timekettle's translation earbuds work well — but both people wear the hardware, it costs around $449, and it has to be charged and carried. DilloForte does the same job from a link in the browser: you talk, and the other person needs nothing.
Try it now · 10 free minutes →
Great hardware, one catch
Timekettle makes translation earbuds and devices (the W-series, WT2, M-series): you split a pair or each person wears one, and it translates as you speak. For two people who both own the set and talk often, it's genuinely comfortable and hands-free.
The catch is the same as any gadget. It's a real cost, it needs charging, it lives in a case you have to remember — and above all, the person in front of you has to have it too. Meet a stranger at a hotel desk, in a shop, in a taxi, and their ears are empty. That's exactly where a link wins.
Where a link beats earbuds
👋 Meeting a stranger
They don't own Timekettle earbuds — and never will for a two-minute exchange. Your phone is enough: you speak, they hear their language.
🧳 Packing light
Nothing extra to buy, charge or lose. It's already on the phone in your pocket, in 60+ languages.
⚡ Spur of the moment
No pairing, no case, no "let me get the other earbud". Open a link and you're translating.
Timekettle and DilloForte side by side
| Timekettle earbuds | DilloForte | |
|---|---|---|
| To start | Buy hardware (~$449) | Open a link |
| The other person | Needs the earbuds too | Needs nothing |
| To carry | Earbuds + case, charged | Just your phone |
| Cost model | One-off, can break or get lost | From €9.99/mo, 10 min free |
| Languages | Wide, tied to the model | 60+, kept up to date |
| Best at | Hands-free for two owners | Anyone, anywhere, instantly |
This isn't "hardware is bad" — Timekettle's in-ear simultaneous mode is nice when two people both have it. But no machine translator is perfect on either side: on jargon, strong accents or medical-legal contexts both can slip. What DilloForte guarantees is zero access friction — a link, and the other person needs nothing.
What it costs
You try it with 10 free minutes, no sign-up. After that plans start at €9.99 a month, and the minutes you buy never expire — no $449 up front, nothing to replace when it breaks.
Frequently asked questions
Can I really replace the earbuds with a phone?
For most everyday situations, yes: travel, a shop, a desk, a taxi, a two-person call. You speak, the other person hears their language — no hardware on either side.
Does the other person need an app or a device?
No. In person your phone is enough; at a distance you send a link and they open the page. No earbuds, no app, no account.
What about hands-free, in-ear translation?
You can use one wired or Bluetooth earbud each with DilloForte too. Timekettle's dedicated in-ear simultaneous mode is smoother if you both own the set; DilloForte's edge is that the other person doesn't need to own anything.
Are conversations stored?
No: the audio is used only to produce the real-time translation and isn't kept. Details in the privacy policy.
Skip the $449. Open a link.
Pick two languages and start talking. Nothing to buy, charge or share.
Open DilloForte · 10 free minutes →