Peech for iPad (2024) | Full Review

Introduction

Peech is a minimalist text-to-speech reader available on multiple platforms, including Android, iPhone, iPad, and Mac. For users with the Apple M1 chip, there's also a Google Chrome extension. With various subscription options, including $ 69.99 per year, $ 6.99 per week, and $ 59.99 for six months, potential users may find themselves wondering if the app is worth the investment. Let's delve into this review to find out.

Overview of Peech

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This review emphasizes the iPad version of the Peech app, which features a refreshing and highly minimalist design. However, this raises questions about its functionality.

Features and Functionality

Peech allows users to type plain text directly into the app. You can name and save your document to the library, where the app reads it aloud. While this feature may seem simplistic—after all, who would want their own writing read back without any grammar checks?—some users might find it appealing. If you’ve ever wanted such a feature, share your thoughts in the comments.

Moreover, you have the option to import existing documents. I decided to test the app’s capabilities with a scanned document. Although Peech includes a scanning feature, I opted for a direct import instead. Its OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is impressively accurate and works well with non-technical documents, even retaining embedded videos from my pages.

The text-to-speech feature is commendable. The public beta of iPadOS 18 enhances its natural reading capabilities without the usual robotic AI tone. I appreciate that the app highlights the text while it reads, facilitating easy follow-along. Although occasional minor bugs exist, they do not significantly hinder the reading experience.

Peech includes two voice options: one male and one female. The limitation of having no control over which voice to listen to is surprising for an app of this type. It raises concerns about how well the app might perform with non-English texts—if any users have tried this, their feedback could benefit others.

Document Interaction and Design

Each voice alternates with every new document imported into the app. Although this may seem inconvenient, it prevents the monotony of only hearing one voice. Fortunately, both voices are appealing for most users.

Peech is designed with a minimalist approach, making it intuitive and easy to use. You can adjust the reading speed from 0.75x to 2x, which, while limited, is still a welcome feature. However, I wish tapping on parts of the document allowed for direct navigation rather than just skipping through parts, which aren't as precise.

The app provides options to change the font size, catering to diverse user needs, including a dyslexia-friendly font—a thoughtful inclusion by the developers. Document organization is straightforward, relying on tags above the documents, but can quickly become cumbersome as more tags are added.

Unfortunately, missing features like a recycle bin for deleted entries add to the app’s limitations, as recovering deleted documents requires importing them anew.

Additional Tools and Considerations

I decided to explore the Chrome extension after downloading it; however, my attempts to log in were unsuccessful. This may discourage users who hoped to access their documents remotely via this extension.

If you have a lot of documents you prefer not to read manually, Peech proves to be a handy tool. For $ 5 per month (with an annual commitment), it’s relatively affordable, especially considering its performance compared to pricier competitors. However, limitations such as no direct integration with Safari and a non-functional Chrome extension leave much to be desired.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Peech is an efficient tool for users seeking a simple, effective text-to-speech solution. It accomplishes its intended purpose but leaves some gaps that might require further development.

Are you interested in a tool like this, or do you have recommendations? Share in the comments!

For more comprehensive tutorials on the reviewed apps, check out our website and our second YouTube channel, Paperless Humans, where you’ll find all relevant links in the description below.

Keywords

Peech, iPad, text-to-speech, document import, OCR, user-friendly, minimalist design, audio reading, dyslexia font, subscription options.

FAQ

1. What platforms is Peech available on?
Peech is available on Android, iPhone, iPad, Mac, and has a Google Chrome extension.

2. What are the subscription options for Peech?
Peech offers several subscription options: $ 69.99 per year, $ 6.99 per week, and $ 59.99 for six months.

3. How does the text-to-speech feature work?
Users can type plain text or import documents. The app reads the text aloud and highlights it for easy following.

4. Are there multiple voice options in the app?
Yes, Peech offers two voice options: one male and one female.

5. Can I change the reading speed?
Yes, the app allows users to adjust the reading speed from 0.75x to 2x.

6. Is there a recycle bin feature in Peech?
No, there is currently no recycle bin feature to recover accidentally deleted documents.