The Good
- Accurate and fast transcription
- Free
- Easy to use
The Bad
- No offline mode
- No ability to save drafts
The iPhone can do some pretty amazing things thanks to some innovative iPhone apps. Dragon Dictation (Free) is one of those apps that will impress you -- not only can it recognize your words, but it also transcribes them with lightning speed.
Dictating emails, messages... and Facebook updates?
The Dragon Dictation app works surprisingly well, and I was impressed at how quickly and accurately it was able to transcribe my text. However, you do have to speak clearly and enunciate or the app may stumble on some of your words. For example, when dictating a recipe, the app confused ‘bay leaf’ for ‘Bailey’s’ until I really spoke slowly and enunciated each syllable. You’ll also want to speak your punctuation (comma, period, question mark, etc.). If the app falters on parts of your text, you can use the onscreen keyboard to clean things up.
Dragon Dictation may not be the best choice for long business memos or letters, but it’s perfect for emails and text messages. I also love that the app integrates with Facebook and Twitter, so you can send tweets or update your status without typing a thing. You can also use your text for email or SMS messages.
There are several features I would like to see, however. It would be nice to be able to save drafts so you can add additional text at a later date. This would be great for to-do lists or draft emails that you aren’t quite ready to send. Dragon Dictation requires an active Internet connection (Wi-Fi, EDGE, or 3G), but an offline mode would make this app even better. This would let you dictate letters or emails when you are away from the Internet -- even if they aren't transcribed until you connect later.
The Bottom Line
Even though I think there are a few features that would make it even better, Dragon Dictation is a top-notch app. It does a great job of transforming my words into everything from emails to Facebook status updates. The app is easy to use, which is another plus. Overall, Dragon Dictation is a great business app that is perfect for on-the-go individuals. Overall rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.
What You’ll Need
The Dragon Dictation app is compatible with the iPhone, iPad and the second- and third-generation iPod touch. It requires an Internet connection and iOS 4.0 or later.