The update to version 3.0.6 doesn't bring any major changes in the user interface, though Google did rearrange the options from the Settings menu, consolidating the former Product Tour, Feedback, Help, and About Google Translate (found in Settings) into a single Help & feedback option. The result is a somehow cleaner interface, though it’s not something that will change the way you use the app.
Google mentions in the changelog an “improved offline language packs” experience, but the only change we spotted was the different color of the pin icon.
The actual new functionality coming in the update is the added support for phonetic input for several languages spoken in India – Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu. Using phonetic input, you can type the phonetic form of a word in your native script, and Translate will automatically change the word into the target language’s script. For instance, typing “Namaste” will result in the Hindi “नमस्ते”.
The update is heading your way right now, but we have the Google-signed APK right here if you want to jump the queue :
