Bluetooth Smart Discover vs BLE Update
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bluetooth Smart Discover
Scan and connect to nearby Bluetooth Low Energy devices. Discover services and characteristics, then read, write, or enable notifications. View standard advertising data from BLE broadcasters.
- Scan for BLE peripherals
- Connect to BLE devices
- Discover services and characteristics
- Read/write BLE characteristics
- Enable BLE notifications
- View BLE broadcaster advertising data
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Microchip’s SmartDiscover provides the ability to scan and connect to nearby Microchip Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) peripherals and listen to BLE broadcasters. Once connected to a BLE peripheral, the user can discover all the services and characteristics that are enabled in the peripheral. It lets the user read, write or enable notifications as appropriate for the discovered characteristics. The standard advertising data types included in the advertisement data of the discovered BLE broadcasters can also be checked.
BLE Update
This utility app enables convenient over-the-air firmware updates for Bluetooth Low Energy devices. It is specifically designed for devices utilizing the Arendi BLE-Platform, allowing seamless updates directly from your mail application.
- Over-the-air firmware updates
- Bluetooth Low Energy device support
- Arendi BLE-Platform integration
- Convenient updates from mail app
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Keep your Bluetooth Low Energy devices running the latest firmware — quickly, securely, and without ever plugging in a cable. Ble Update is the firmware update companion for devices built on the Arendi BLE‑Platform. It scans for nearby BLE devices, connects, and pushes new firmware directly over the air — no PC, no cables, no workshop visit required. Built for the field, not just the lab: Nordic DFU support — the proven standard for firmware updates on Nordic Semiconductor‑based BLE devices SMP (Simple Management Protocol) support — for the latest generation of connected devices, including those built on Zephyr and MCUboot Guided, step‑by‑step update flow — connect, select the firmware file, and update in a few taps Reliable over‑the‑air delivery — built to handle real‑world BLE conditions out in the field Works straight from your phone or tablet — take firmware updates wherever your devices are Whether you're a technician updating a single device on‑site or managing a whole fleet of connected products, Ble Update gives you a fast, dependable way to keep firmware current — right from your pocket. Part of the Arendi BLE‑Platform ecosystem.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: BLE Update at 5.0 against Bluetooth Smart Discover's 3.0. Bluetooth Smart Discover's advantage is update cadence (every 8 months vs every 23 months) and iOS requirement (8.1 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
BLE Update holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.
Bluetooth Smart Discover ships an update every 8 months, BLE Update every 23 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bluetooth Smart Discover | BLE Update |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months — better | Every 23 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.1 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 124 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Microchip Technology Inc. | Arendi AG |
Customer experience
Bluetooth Smart Discover
BLE Update
In-app purchases
Bluetooth Smart Discover
No in-app purchases
BLE Update
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Bluetooth Smart Discover free?
Is BLE Update free?
Which has better reviews, Bluetooth Smart Discover or BLE Update?
Do Bluetooth Smart Discover or BLE Update have ads?
Which is updated more often, Bluetooth Smart Discover or BLE Update?
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