Simple Cello vs ThereminAir
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Simple Cello
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Bring the rich and emotional sound of the cello to your iPhone and iPad. Simple Cello is a modern cello simulator built for practice, creativity, and musical exploration - featuring a wide range of cello sound sets, songs, rhythms, MIDI playback, and a simple recording library. MULTIPLE CELLO SOUNDS Play with an extensive collection of cello sound sets, including Cello Solo, Cello Normal, Legato, Staccato, Pizzicato, Pizzicato Cello Solo, Tremolo Cellos, Sordino Cello Solo, and Sordino Cellos. Switch sounds instantly to match expressive solos, rhythmic parts, or orchestral textures. SONGS + MIDI PRACTICE Practice with built-in songs, follow MIDI playback using a falling-note style visual guide, and adjust playback speed to suit your learning pace. RHYTHMS & GROOVES Add rhythm accompaniment to strengthen timing and make practice sessions more musical. MANAGE YOUR RECORDINGS Record your cello performances, replay them anytime, and keep all recordings neatly organized. If you’re looking for a portable cello app for students, orchestral players, or composers, Simple Cello helps you explore the full expressive range of the instrument wherever you go.
ThereminAir
This app transforms your Apple Watch into a unique theremin instrument. Play music through arm gestures, controlling pitch and volume without touching any buttons. Explore different modes and scales to create a variety of sounds.
- Gesture-based pitch and volume control
- Pure mode for continuous glide
- Scale modes for staying in tune
- Adjustable pitch ranges and vibrato depths
- Live readout of frequency and note name
- Complication for instant play
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ThereminAir turns your Apple Watch into a theremin — the legendary instrument you play without ever touching it. Anchor your elbow and sweep your forearm like the hand of a clock: raise it and the pitch rises, lower it and the pitch falls. Rotate your wrist to swell the volume. There are no buttons to press while you play, no strings, no keys — just the motion of your arm in the air, exactly like the real thing. Your arm becomes the antenna. HOW IT WORKS • Sweep your forearm for pitch — glide smoothly or lock to musical notes • Rotate your wrist for volume — from a whisper to full voice • Wobble your wrist on a held note and it sings with real vibrato • Turn the Digital Crown to set your maximum volume • Watch the live readout — frequency, note name, and a scrolling trace of your vibrato PLAY IN KEY Pure mode gives you the classic continuous theremin glide. Prefer to stay in tune? Choose a scale and every note snaps to it: • Major and Minor • Major and Minor Pentatonic • Pick any root note Vibrato sings around the note you land on, so playing in key never sounds locked to a grid. MAKE IT YOURS • Three pitch ranges — Precise for playing in tune, Standard for everyday play, Wide for drama • Three vibrato depths — Subtle, Natural, Wide • The tone brightens as you play louder, the way an acoustic instrument does • Plays the right way round on either wrist, in either crown orientation • Vibrato-only mode, so travelling to a new note stays clean RECOMMENDED SETTINGS Precise range · Pure scale · Dynamic timbre on · Wide vibrato depth · Vibrato only on · Travel-proof vibrato off · Exclusive audio off TAP AND PLAY Add the ThereminAir complication to your watch face and a single tap launches you straight into play mode — no menus, no waiting. Or just say "Hey Siri, play ThereminAir". BUILT FOR THE WATCH • Smooth, low-latency synthesis tuned for Apple Watch • Clean, glanceable interface • Works on the go — your instrument is always on your wrist Whether you're making eerie sci-fi sweeps, practicing pitch, or just playing with sound while you wait for coffee, ThereminAir puts a real instrument on your wrist.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Simple Cello at Free against ThereminAir's $3.99. Simple Cello also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). ThereminAir's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and device support 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
Simple Cello is free to download; ThereminAir costs $3.99 up front. Simple Cello sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ThereminAir asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Simple Cello against 5.0 for ThereminAir. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.
Simple Cello ships an update every 3 weeks, ThereminAir every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Simple Cello | ThereminAir |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $3.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 11 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 154 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mustafa Demir | Tom Pardee |
In-app purchases
Simple Cello
- Get Premium$4.99
ThereminAir
No in-app purchases









