ElevenLabs Brings Text-to-Speech to Smartphones, Challenging Voice Tech Rivals
TLDRs:
ElevenLabs has released a mobile text-to-speech app for iOS and Android.
The app allows users to convert written text into lifelike speech directly on their smartphones.
With a focus on natural voice quality and emotional depth, ElevenLabs is challenging incumbents like Speechify and OpenAI.
The move signals a broader industry shift toward on-device voice generation and real-time accessibility.
, a fast-rising player in the voice artificial intelligence sector, has rolled out its first mobile application for iOS and Android.
This development allows users to turn text into audio clips directly from their smartphones without needing to access a browser or desktop tool. The mobile app replicates much of the functionality of ElevenLabs’ web-based platform, offering voice selection, model quality options, and customizable output, all packed into a streamlined interface for everyday use.
The timing of the launch reflects a clear trend in the AI sector: on-device functionality is rapidly becoming a baseline expectation, particularly for productivity and creative tools. By offering voice synthesis in a mobile format, ElevenLabs is positioning itself to tap into a user base that demands immediacy, convenience, and the ability to create on the fly.
Introducing the ElevenLabs mobile app for iOS and Android.
The most powerful AI voice tools, now in your pocket.
Generate studio-quality voiceovers for your videos in seconds.
Built for creators, educators, and professionals. pic.twitter.com/aodeTIgJc7
— ElevenLabs (@elevenlabsio) June 24, 2025
Emotion Becomes Voice AI’s Edge
Unlike some voice tech platforms that emphasize speed or volume, ElevenLabs is doubling down on quality and nuance. The company has invested heavily in voice models capable of conveying emotional depth and subtlety in over 30 languages. This approach has helped distinguish it from competitors like Speechify, whose offerings tilt toward high-volume voice libraries and rapid output.
As the voice AI market matures, quality is quickly becoming the core battleground. ElevenLabs’ decision to prioritize expressiveness and realism in its voices signals a bet that users will increasingly gravitate toward experiences that feel more human. This push for authenticity is especially relevant for industries such as audiobooks, media, and accessibility services, where tone and emotion can carry as much weight as the words themselves.
Voice AI Rivals Clash on Pricing
The launch of the mobile app comes amid intensified competition in the voice AI landscape. Pricing strategies across the sector highlight differing priorities. While Speechify starts its subscriptions at around $288 per year, ElevenLabs offers a more affordable entry point at $60 annually, making it attractive to indie creators, students, and hobbyists. The lower cost does come with limits on monthly character usage, but ElevenLabs appears confident that quality will offset quantity.
This price-performance tension reflects a broader market struggle to define value. With many voice services still criticized for robotic tones or awkward pacing, ElevenLabs’ focus on expressiveness could prove to be a strong differentiator.
Mobile Accessibility Signals a Shift in Voice AI’s Next Chapter
Bringing advanced voice synthesis to smartphones also highlights how rapidly the industry is evolving. Users no longer expect AI voice tools to be confined to desktop software or studio environments. Instead, they are looking for solutions that work seamlessly across contexts, whether drafting narration in a cab, editing content at a café, or recording speech for social media on the go.
This mobile-first push also arrives just as OpenAI and other major players, including Google and Amazon, are refining their own voice capabilities. OpenAI recently enhanced ChatGPT’s voice mode with improved expressiveness and real-time translation. However, these features remain primarily browser-based or embedded within larger ecosystems, giving ElevenLabs a window to establish itself as a nimble and focused alternative.
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Filed under: News - @ June 25, 2025 7:28 pm