Comparison

Bluetooth Smart Discover vs BLE Update

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Scan for BLE peripherals
  • Connect to BLE devices
  • Discover services and characteristics
  • Read/write BLE characteristics
  • Enable BLE notifications
  • View BLE broadcaster advertising data
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Over-the-air firmware updates
  • Bluetooth Low Energy device support
  • Arendi BLE-Platform integration
  • Convenient updates from mail app
Features
Read full description

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

Bluetooth Smart Discover4 screens
BLE Update3 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Bluetooth Smart Discover versus BLE Update: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBluetooth Smart DiscoverBLE Update
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 8 months — betterEvery 23 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.1 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB124 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMicrochip Technology Inc.Arendi AG

Customer experience

Bluetooth Smart Discover

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

BLE Update

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Bluetooth Smart Discover

No in-app purchases

None

BLE Update

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bluetooth Smart Discover free?
Bluetooth Smart Discover is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BLE Update free?
BLE Update is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bluetooth Smart Discover or BLE Update?
BLE Update is rated higher. Bluetooth Smart Discover averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while BLE Update averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Bluetooth Smart Discover or BLE Update have ads?
Neither Bluetooth Smart Discover nor BLE Update shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bluetooth Smart Discover or BLE Update?
Bluetooth Smart Discover ships an update every 8 months, and BLE Update every 23 months. Most recently, Bluetooth Smart Discover was updated on September 25, 2026 and BLE Update on October 6, 2026.

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