Cue cards vs your phone for a speech
Cue cards have carried speeches for a long time, and they still work. A phone does some things better and some things worse.
Here is when to choose each, and where Lectern fits. Tap the cards and the phone to try them.
Sometimes cards are the better choice.
You speak from a few points rather than read every word. One point per card works well.
You'll speak outdoors in bright sun, where a phone screen can be hard to read.
You want something in your hand that needs no battery and can't ring.
You'd like a paper copy to keep or give to someone afterward.
In any of these, use cards. Number them, in case they get out of order.
Where cards get harder
Cards suit a few points. A full speech asks more of them.
A full speech takes a lot of cards.
A word-for-word speech takes many cards, often in small writing.
Turning cards takes a hand.
You turn each card by hand, which is harder while holding a glass or a microphone.
The order can slip.
If the cards slip out of order, finding your place takes a moment.
Late changes mean rewriting.
A change on the day means writing the card again.
What a phone with Lectern does
Your whole speech sits on one calm screen in large, warm type. You choose the text size and line spacing, and the screen stays awake.
Tap
Start or pause. The words scroll at the pace you set.
Tap the top
Step back a line.
Drag
Find your place. The words stay still when you let go.
Your own reminders, such as “Look up” or “Raise your glass”, appear inside the speech, like a note in a card's margin.
A small clock shows how long you have been speaking.
You can edit right up to the last minute, and your speech works offline.
The words move only when you tap, and Lectern keeps your place while you pause.
Where a phone is weaker
It needs charging.
Charge it before you speak.
Bright sun is hard on screens.
Sun on the screen can make the words harder to read.
Other apps can interrupt.
Lectern makes no sounds or pop-ups while you read, so turn on Do Not Disturb for everything else.
Or use both.
You can read from your phone and keep a printed copy in your pocket.
In Lectern, Share a copy sends the text of your speech to another app, where you can print it.
Side by side
| What you need | Cue cards | Phone with Lectern |
|---|---|---|
| Power | None needed | Charge before you speak |
| Bright sun | Easy to read | Screen glare can make it harder |
| A word-for-word speech | Many cards, often in small writing | One screen in large type, scrolling at your pace |
| Finding your place | Cards can get out of order | Drag to find it, or tap the top to step back a line |
| Late changes | Write the card again | Edit, then read |
| Reminders | Write them in the margin | Your own reminders, shown inside the speech |
| Interruptions | None | Lectern adds none. Turn on Do Not Disturb for other apps. |
| Cost | A pack of cards | Free to prepare any speech, and to practice and deliver its first 2 minutes. Buy once to practice and deliver every speech in full. |
Lectern is for iPhone. It needs no account and has no ads or tracking.
Try it with your own speech.
Preparing any speech is free, and so are practicing and delivering its first 2 minutes.