Comparison

IPhoton vs Magic Sound Box

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

IPhoton

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IPhoton – Invisible Flashlight Control for Magic Performers Turn your iPhone into the ULTIMATE visual magic tool. With IPhoton, you can control your iPhone’s flashlight invisibly—without buttons, remotes, or even touching your phone. Tap, toggle, automate, or let smart motion and hand detection do the work. For the first time ever, you can perform classic D-Lite effects using your iPhone—right in your spectator’s hand. Mind = Blown. FREE MODE • Tap – Hold to light, release to vanish. • Toggle – A single tap switches the light on/off. • Max 30 second session limit. PRO MODE (requires in app upgrade)... CLASSIC MODES • Tap – Hold to light, release to vanish. • Toggle – A single tap switches the light on/off. • Auto – Custom looping sequences with hidden countdowns. SMART MODES(This is where the real magic happens) • Jolt Detection – Use your iPhone’s accelerometer. A shake, tilt, or subtle jolt controls the beam. • Hand Detection – Our flagship breakthrough. Your iPhone’s camera detects your hand, giving you precise, hands-free flashlight control. Powerful. Reliable. Game-changing. ROUTINES • Record and create custom light sequences • One tap activation • Time your light show to music or create incredible special effects! CAMERA MODE • Capture audience reactions live while performing. Switch to camera mode with a tap and record the astonishment as it happens. Now you have a reason for the flashlight... APPLE SHORTCUTS • Add preloaded shortcuts within iPhoton to a friend's device to control their flashlight. KILLER COMBINATIONS • Mix and match methods for seamless, unfathomable control. Perform with confidence, knowing your spectators will have no explanation. APPLE WATCH CONTROL (In App Purchase required) • A twist of the wrist is all it takes to take your effect to another level. LIGHT IT UP • Pair with D-Lite (by Roger Mayfarth – sold separately) and unleash a reputation-making routine that plays big on any stage but fits in your pocket. INVISIBLE. PRACTICAL. MAGICAL. • Download IPhoton today and make the impossible shine. IPhoton was created and developed by Sam Fitton. All rights reserved.

About

Magic Sound Box

Features
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Magic Sound Box is a full soundboard and show control system, built specifically for performers and can be operated entirely by gesture, from your iPhone and from your Apple Watch. Load your own music, ambience and sound effects, organise it exactly how your show runs, and trigger every cue with a swish of your hand. No fumbling for cues, no assistant needed, no phone screen to fumble at mid routine. A soundboard and a live Sound FX system. This is the tool a working performer actually needs. Build up to three complete set lists, each holding ten cues in exactly the order your show runs. Mix your own music, ambience and sound effects freely within a set. Delay a cue by up to ten seconds and feel a countdown on your wrist, so it lands exactly on your line. Fade one track into the next rather than cutting hard. Set your own volume per cue. Open a set on your phone and your Apple Watch becomes that show and nothing else, ready to run from your wrist. Your own music and ambience Five music slots let you load your own tracks. Walk on music, ambience under a routine, a stinger for a big reveal, whatever your show needs. Name each one, trigger it with a gesture, and control play, pause and stop with precision. A full sound effects library included On top of everything you bring yourself, Magic Sound Box comes with a built in library of over 20 professional sound effects, ready from the moment you open the app. Magic stings like Zap, Vanish and Reveal. Performer staples like Drum Roll, Fanfare and Applause. A few just for fun. No extra download, no separate pack to buy, it's simply part of the soundboard. Add your own sound effects too Not every sound you need lives in a built in library. My Sounds lets you import any audio file of your own and add it as a sound effect, with a name and an emoji you choose, right alongside the built in ones. Add as many as you like, and remove them just as easily. They sync to your Apple Watch automatically, so a sound you've just added is ready to trigger from your wrist within moments. Sounds that know what comes next Some routines need one sound to lead straight into another. A coin drop followed by a rattle. A reveal followed by applause. Links chain two or three sounds together so the same gesture or tap always fires the next one in the sequence. Set each step to fire on a gesture, a tap, automatically, or after a countdown you feel through a haptic tap on your wrist, never a sound. Once the sequence finishes, it resets itself, ready to go again. Runs exactly how your show needs it to Use your iPhone alone, your Apple Watch alone, or both together. Route audio through your Watch for the intimacy of close up, or through your iPhone and a Bluetooth speaker for parlour and stage. Five sensitivity levels, set independently for cues and music, mean the app only fires on the gesture you actually intend. Hold the screen to disarm gestures completely whenever you need to move freely. No subscriptions. No ads. No account needed. Just a real soundboard, built for a real show.

Screenshots

IPhoton4 screens
Magic Sound Box3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: IPhoton at Free against Magic Sound Box's $4.99. Magic Sound Box's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

IPhoton is free to download; Magic Sound Box costs $4.99 up front. IPhoton sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Magic Sound Box asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

IPhoton ships an update weekly, Magic Sound Box every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
IPhoton versus Magic Sound Box: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIPhotonMagic Sound Box
PriceFree — better$4.99
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB41 MB
Age rating4++17
DeveloperHonest Trickery LtdJAMES BUCHANAN COWAN

In-app purchases

3 purchases

IPhoton

Subscriptions1
  • Pro (Monthly)$14.991 Month
One-time2
  • Apple Watch Control for IPhoton$14.99
  • Pro (Lifetime)$29.99
None

Magic Sound Box

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is IPhoton free?
IPhoton is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Magic Sound Box free?
Magic Sound Box costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do IPhoton or Magic Sound Box have ads?
Neither IPhoton nor Magic Sound Box shows ads.
Which is updated more often, IPhoton or Magic Sound Box?
IPhoton ships an update weekly, and Magic Sound Box every 4 days. Most recently, IPhoton was updated on October 7, 2026 and Magic Sound Box on October 13, 2026.

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