Talking Calculator vs EchoBox Player
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Talking Calculator
This calculator app offers a unique speech feature, reading numbers, formulas, and answers aloud. It includes customizable interfaces for different vision needs and a paper log for classroom use. Users can even record their own voices for a personalized experience.
- Speech output for numbers, formulas, and answers
- Customizable user interfaces (standard, ultra-simple)
- Formula mode with order of operations
- Paper log for recording calculations
- Voice recording studio
- VoiceOver and Switch Control support
- High contrast mode
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A comprehensively featured calculator that has become a favorite among adults and primary schools around the world. Designed for a wide range of users, this calculator has large colorful buttons, optional high contrast, full VoiceOver support, and unique to this calculator; the option to use speech for answers, button names and formulas! *** Showcased by Apple Australia at the Association of Special Education Administrators in Queensland Inc. Conference 2011 *** "We have found it particularly useful to students with developmental delays." - Apple (Australia) If you’re looking for a talking calculator with scientific or fraction operators, then please look for this app's big brother, the Talking Scientific Calculator. If you're looking for statistics functionality, then please check out the new Talking Statistics Calculator app. Talking Calculator's features include: ------------------------------------------------- - Select between two user-interfaces: standard calculator, and ultra-simple, which is ideal for young children. - Reads answers, entered numbers and formulas aloud. For example: 1,234.56 is spoken as "One thousand, two hundred thirty four point five six." 2 + 5 x 3^2 is spoken as "two plus five multiply three squared" - Two entry modes, Standard and Formula. Standard mode emulates traditional calculators: You need to be mindful of the 'order of operations'. Formula mode takes care of the order of operations for you. You enter a mathematical expression, complete with operators and parentheses (brackets), tap the EQUALS button, and the expression is evaluated. This is similar to using formulas in Microsoft Excel. - Paper log feature, designed particularly for classroom use. Calculations are recorded with a timestamp and can be viewed or emailed. - Built in recording studio and script. Requires only 5 minutes to record a new voice. Recordings can be transferred between devices using Bluetooth. - Supports VoiceOver standard and touch-typing input styles. Speaks numbers and formulas naturally, not as sequences of digits. Magic Tap can be used to speak with the built-in or custom recorded voice. - The entire app is accessible to VoiceOver and Switch Control users, including the recording studio for recording your own voice and the use of complex formulas. - International number formats - Optional high contrast mode (black on yellow) Customizable for each level of vision: -------------------------------------------- Normal to low vision: Large, clear buttons with optional speech. Low vision: High contrast display mode, with optional speech. No vision / blind: VoiceOver reads the button names before they are activated. The calculation results are spoken. Why record new voices? -------------------------------------------- Having your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch talk with your own voice, or that of a friend or tutor will make the calculator sound more natural to you. The calculator will speak with the accent you are used to hearing. Note also that the VoiceOver feature built into your device, while awesome, is not good at reading out large and small numbers. It can also be fun to experiment with silly voices. How good is the sound quality of recorded voices? Excellent: The microphone in your iPad / iPhone or iPod Touch 4G is of very good quality, and this calculator performs digital signal processing to ensure the audio level is consistent across all recorded words.
EchoBox Player
An elegant, privacy-focused audio player for long-form content like audiobooks and podcasts. It preserves your folder structure, offers chapter support, customizable audio effects, and on-device transcription. Enjoy your media library with smart features that enhance listening without intrusive tracking.
- Preserves folder structure
- Per-file relative volume control
- Chapter support
- Optional audio effects (EQ, compressor)
- On-device transcription
- Internet radio playback
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Echobox player is an elegant, privacy‑minded audio player built for everyday listening. It respects your library, keeps folders as folders, and adds smart features that make long‑form audio a joy—chapters, effects, transcripts, and more—without getting in your way. Whether you’re listening to audiobooks, podcasts, lectures, or long mixes, Ecobox balances reliability with power. It runs great on‑device, handles big local libraries, and even plays live Internet radio. - Preserve folder structure: Import entire folders and keep your organization intact. EchoBox mirrors your file tree instead of flattening it. - Per‑file Relative Volume: Dial in the loudness of each file without permanently altering audio. Normalize your library tastefully—ideal for podcasts and audiobooks recorded at different levels. - Chapters done right: Fast chapter detection for m4a/m4b and MP3 (ID3 CHAP). Jump quickly via a clear, accessible chapter list and dedicated button. - Effects when you want them: Optional EQ, low‑cut, reverb, and a smart compressor powered by a robust AVAudioEngine path. Effects are off by default and won’t destabilize normal playback. - Storage awareness: A tidy footer shows used and free space so you always know when it’s time to declutter. - On‑device transcription: Generate timestamp‑aware transcripts from your audio using Apple’s Speech framework. Prefer on‑device models when available, with a clear live progress view. - Internet Radio (.radio): Save and play live streams with a simple .radio file. EchoBox optimizes controls for live playback and gets out of your way. - Swift, fast, and private: No accounts. No trackers. Your library stays on your device.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: EchoBox Player at Free against Talking Calculator's $1.99. EchoBox Player also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (100% vs 69%). Talking Calculator's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.0). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
EchoBox Player is free to download; Talking Calculator costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
EchoBox Player holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Talking Calculator's written reviews are positive against 100% of EchoBox Player's.
Talking Calculator ships an update monthly, EchoBox Player every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Talking Calculator | EchoBox Player |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.0 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 69.2% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Adam Croser | Oriol Gomez |
Customer experience
Talking Calculator
EchoBox Player
In-app purchases
Talking Calculator
No in-app purchases
EchoBox Player
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Talking Calculator free?
Is EchoBox Player free?
Which has better reviews, Talking Calculator or EchoBox Player?
Do Talking Calculator or EchoBox Player have ads?
Which is updated more often, Talking Calculator or EchoBox Player?
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