Until recently, teleprompters were extremely expensive instruments that you'd only find among professional productions, like live news broadcasts and presidential addresses. But thanks to today's nifty smartphone screens, you can get a quality teleprompter for relatively cheap. All you have to do is attach it to your tripod, secure your phone to the tray, and start scrolling your script.
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Professionalize your kit with a nifty fifty lens, light reflector, and more to keep your shoot (and budget) in check.The team at Pocket-lint knows what makes a professional video production run smoothly, and teleprompters are right up our alley of expertise. That's why we wanted to test and review today's top models to help folks film with the best. Here, we present our guide to phone teleprompters worth their salt and for every budget. Additionally, we look for phone and tablet teleprompters that include Bluetooth remote controls and professional builds.
The best phone and tablet teleprompters: Our top picks
Neewer X12 Teleprompter
The complete package for total control
With the X12, Neewer sets the standard for an effective, durable, and easy-to-use phone teleprompter.
- Includes remote control and carrying case
- Easy to set up quickly
- Hardy aluminum-alloy construction
- High-quality reflective glass
- Hood eliminates glare without affecting exposure
- Fairly expensive
- The remote's buttons make audible clicks
Phone teleprompters are relatively novel products, but Neewer seems to have already perfected the design. The X12 model is a sturdy piece of gear, with an aluminum-alloy frame that attaches securely to tripods. Most importantly, it's versatile. It can accommodate tablets, smartphones, and full-sized cameras alike.
Assembly is easy. Lifting it out of the included carrying case, you simply attach the base to your tripod and secure it with the standard 1/4-inch screw. From there, the hood and glass can be fixed to the center, and it's ready to go. The camera mount is also adjustable, allowing you to accommodate the length of your lens. And for the script reader, whether you use an iPhone or a tablet, there are brackets that hold it firmly in place.
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Glide Gear TMP100 Teleprompter
The professional pick for your productions
The Glide Gear TMP100 stands out as an exceptionally robust, high-quality teleprompter that fits right in with pro filmmaking.
- Super high-quality 70/30 glass
- Sets up as a single piece
- Hood covers entire camera lens
- All-metal construction
- No remote control
- Heavy at over five pounds
- The case is a soft case
The Glide Gear TMP100 is another excellent choice, and its higher quality makes it worth the higher price. Indeed, those with professional, expensive cameras can trust this sturdy teleprompter to keep their fancy cameras secure. The all-metal frame attaches to tripods without a fuss, and it sets up in one piece.
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The result of all that professional-grade hardware is a teleprompter that sets up quickly, keeps your camera secure, and boasts a super-clear viewing range of 10 feet.
Iloknzi 12"-Pro Teleprompter
All the essential features at a bargain price
This pick from Iloknzi might be a bit basic, but the quality design and hardware deliver the goods for an affordable price.
- Comes with a bluetooth remote
- Great value for the price
- Large device tray fits tablets up to 8.6 inches in width
- 12-inch glass is durable and scratch-resistant
- Remote is finicky
- Soft case isn't very protective
You don't need to spend a fortune to score a quality phone teleprompter. This 12-inch model from Iloknzi has an aluminum build, a fully adjustable mount, thick HD glass, and an excellent hood. It's a surprisingly high-quality design that comes at nearly half the price of comparable competitors' models.
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Neewer X14 PRO Teleprompter
A teleprompter for your jumbo tablets
The X14 Pro lives up to its name with a professional build, a 14-inch reflector, and a device tray that can hold tablets up to 8.7-inches wide.
- Relatively lightweight for the size
- Folding design has no loose parts
- Includes hard case
- Useful remote control
- Fairly expensive
- Adjusting the hood around short lenses can be tricky
We've come to associate Neewer products with quality, and the X14 Pro is no exception. It's an upgrade from the X12, since it has both a larger reflecting glass and a longer device tray. It's the ideal choice for those with jumbo tablets, like the iPad Pro 12, which expands the visible reading distance by several feet.
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Glide Gear TMP 50 Mini Smartphone Teleprompter
Make the most of your fancy phone's camera
If you record your videos with your phone, Glide Gear's TMP 50 is perfectly suited for your compact, mini productions.
- Affordable price
- Highly adjustable
- Quality 10-inch glass
- Compatible with huge range of small devices
- Case isn't very protective
- Can drop and break if you're not careful when changing angles
Most phone teleprompter models aren't designed for phone cameras. They're called "phone" teleprompters because you can use your phone to project the script, while the actual recording is usually performed by a full-sized camera. The TMP 50 from Glide Gear flips the script.
Designed for use with camera phones, it includes a highly adjustable phone mount. The spring-loaded bracket can accommodate phones of nearly every size, and even some mini tablets can join in on the recording. The most crucial feature, however, is the rail adjustment. It lets you position your phone as close to the glass as possible, a necessary feature for smartphones' wide lenses. This means no vignetting or visible reflections in the glass.
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From AirPods to screen protection, these are iPhone essentials to gift yourself or others.Overall, the TMP 50 is a professional-grade phone teleprompter that expands your filmmaking possibilities. And even though the price is super low, the durable hardware and wide adjustability are suitable for the big leagues.
The bottom line: What's the best phone teleprompter?
The Neewer X12 is our top pick because it offers everything we look for and more. The setup is simple, the reflective glass is clear and effective, and the aluminum build ensures a sturdy, secure performance. And although there are cheaper options out there, the price of the X12 is still a good bargain for its specs.
We also had to give a nod to the professional design of the Glide Gear TMP100, which has an exceptional metal construction that adds extra precision and adjustability. But if the premium price tag is too high, we recommend the 12-inch Pro from Iloknzi. It's not quite as hardy, but it's still easy to use, effective, and budget-friendly.
How we chose the best phone teleprompters
In my filmmaking career, I've been both in front of the camera and behind it. And as good as I am at memorizing my lines (I'm not), I've learned just how useful a teleprompter can be. My favorite teleprompters are easy to set up and well shielded from glare, but there are other considerations to make, too. That's why I collaborated with my fellow photography pros here at Pocket-lint to narrow down the options.
Mounting type: Phone teleprompters have the advantage of being relatively lightweight and compact compared to their jumbo ancestors. The models on our list can be mounted right onto a tripod, and then the camera is placed on top. This way, the screen projects the text in front of the lens, so the reader appears to be looking directly into the camera. Look for teleprompters that are quick and easy to mount, and make sure that they're long enough to accommodate your camera and lens.
Size: Teleprompters for smartphones and tablets are smaller than traditional teleprompters, but they're still large enough to read comfortably from a distance. Ultimately, the visibility of the text depends on the size of your device's screen. Thus, extra-large teleprompters aren't necessary for small phones, but tablets are. Make sure to pick a teleprompter that can accommodate your device.
Construction: We looked for teleprompters made out of metal, with as few plastic parts as possible. This is important, because our precious cameras are mounted on top of the teleprompter, and we want to make sure that they're secure. We've also found that metal constructions are more precisely manufactured, which makes for quicker setups and breakdowns.
Remote control: Many of these teleprompters come with a remote control, which is extremely useful for controlling the speed of the feed. Keep in mind, however, that they don't actually connect to the teleprompter. They're simple Bluetooth devices that connect to your phone or tablet. Thus, remote controls are a nice accessory to have, but they're not an integral part of the teleprompter. If your teleprompter of choice didn't come with one, or the included remote is crummy, you can buy one separately for relatively cheap.
How do I use a phone or tablet with one of these teleprompters?
These teleprompters are entirely mechanical, and they need a phone or tablet to display the script. Attaching your device to the teleprompter is super simple. You only have to place it onto a horizontal mount and secure it using a clamp or bumper.
The scrolling script is something you'll have to set up on your own. There are a couple of free teleprompter apps out there, like Teleprompter Mirror and SpeakFlow, which provide standard controls.
However, more advanced apps and features will cost you, and most free versions won’t work with just any remote control. Many of the remote controls in these bundles are proprietary and will only work with their maker’s app. Alternatively, some premium apps allow you to control your script-scrolling device with another smartphone, eliminating the need for a physical remote control.
We recommend trying out a few of the top teleprompter apps to find out which one works for you.
If I don't have a professional camera, can I use my phone to record the video?
As long as you have a second device to project the script, you can use your phone's camera to capture the video. In fact, many of today's smartphones are advanced enough to capture 4K footage and even stream live video, so it's not a bad idea.
Some options are specifically designed for use with smartphones. The Glide Gear TMP 50, for example, comes with two phone mounts, one to record and one to project the script. The phone mount is highly adjustable to help you find the perfect angle for recording. Its mini size is also geared towards more mobile production.
To use your phone's camera with the other models on our list, you'll need to buy a smartphone tripod mount. Once you have that, attach it to the teleprompter the same way you would attach any other camera. It's also recommended that you place the phone as close to the reflecting glass as possible to avoid glare.