Comparison

phyphox vs SAM 3D

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

Head to head
About

phyphox

Unlock your phone's sensors for scientific exploration. Conduct pre-built experiments or create your own using accelerometers, magnetometers, and more. Analyze and export data in various formats for further study.

Highlights
  • Pre-defined experiments
  • Data export (CSV, TSV, Excel)
  • Web-based remote control
  • Custom experiment editor
  • Access to phone sensors
  • Advanced analysis functions
Features
Read full description

Did you know that you are carrying a 3D magnetometer? That you can use your phone as a pendulum to measure earth's local gravitational acceleration? That you can turn your phone into a sonar? phyphox gives you access to the sensors of your phone either directly or through ready-to-play experiments which analyze your data and let you export raw data along with the results for further analysis. You can even define your own experiments on phyphox.org and share them with colleagues, students and friends. Selected Features: • A selection of pre-defined experiments. Just press play to start. • Export your data to a range of widely used formats • Remote-control your experiment through a web interface from any PC on the same network as your phone. No need to install anything on those PCs - all you need is a modern web browser. • Define your own experiments by selecting sensor inputs, defining analysis steps and creating views as an interface using our web-editor (http://phyphox.org/editor). The analysis consists of just adding two values or using advanced methods like Fourier transforms and crosscorrelation. We offer a whole toolbox of analysis functions. Sensors supported: • Accelerometer • Magnetometer • Gyroscope • Pressure • Microphone • Proximity • GPS • Camera • LiDAR/ToF *some sensors are not present on every phone. Export formats • CSV (Comma separated values) • TSV (Tab-separated values) • Excel (if you need other formats, please let us know) This app has been developed at the 2nd Institute of Physics A at the RWTH Aachen University.

About

SAM 3D

Experience a historical journey through augmented reality, virtually restoring a classic car. Explore different versions and colors of the Hotchkiss and learn its fascinating history, from its brand to its engine.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality car restoration
  • Explore historical car versions
  • Discover car history and details
  • Virtual exploration of classic automobile
  • Interactive museum experience
Features
Read full description

L’application « SAM! 3D » vous permet de voyager dans le temps et de remonter il y a presque 100 ans en arrière ! Grâce à la réalité augmentée, vous pourrez restaurer virtuellement la carrosserie de la Hotchkiss du Musée National de l’Automobile – Collection Schlumpf et la faire revivre à son époque, sous son plus beau jour. Explorez les différentes versions et couleurs que la Hotchkiss pouvait revêtir. Vous appréciez le luxe ? Alors la version Limousine est faite pour vous. Plus attiré par le dynamisme des sportives ? Essayez la version Torpédo. « SAM! 3D » vous permet de découvrir l’incroyable histoire de cette voiture, de sa marque à son moteur. Alors êtes-vous prêts à rentrer dans la peau d’un conservateur ou d’une conservatrice ? Embarquez sans plus tarder dans cette exploration virtuelle au Musée National de l’Automobile – Collection Schlumpf !

Screenshots

phyphox4 screens
SAM 3D3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: phyphox at 79% against SAM 3D's 0%. phyphox also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). SAM 3D's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 3 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

phyphox ships an update every 3 months, SAM 3D every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
phyphox versus SAM 3D: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterphyphoxSAM 3D
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (276 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews78.7% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings276 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 11 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB242 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRWTH Aachen UniversityBrave New Media

Customer experience

phyphox

All ratings276 ratings
Positive89.5%
Neutral4.0%
Negative6.5%
Written reviews267 reviews
Positive78.7%
Neutral3.4%
Negative18.0%

SAM 3D

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

phyphox

Reported bugs

21 issues
  • App crashes on older devices
  • Barometer not working on iOS 17.4
  • Network error: Generic error
  • Sound measurement curve disappears
  • App crashes frequently
Show 16 more
  • Cannot be opened on iPhone 6
  • Light sensor not implemented
  • Recording stops when phone is locked or app is minimized
  • Green lines on screen and faded to black after using barometer sensor
  • WLAN not working after using the app
  • Pressure no longer displayed on iOS 17.5
  • Barometer not working on iOS 17.4
  • Latest version cannot be opened on iPhone 6
  • Sound chronometer reset button not working
  • iPad destroyed after update
  • App displays Russian language by default
  • Experiments not working on iPhone 7
  • Magnetometer not working after update on iPhone 5s
  • GPS shows 0 satellites with 6m accuracy
  • App claims iPhone 11 is comparable to a low-cost tablet
  • App crashes every time

Requested features

33 requests
  • Add infrasound detector
  • More units of measurement (G-force, PSI, feet)
  • NFC/RFID support
  • In-app bug report feature
  • Allow other sensors via USB-C
Show 28 more
  • Ability to plug in external sensors
  • Slo-mo recording with timestamps
  • Add attitude sensor (roll, pitch, yaw)
  • Integration with Apple Shortcuts
  • Ability to record audio/dB simultaneously with other sensors
  • Adjustable sampling frequency for all sensors
  • Dark mode option
  • Experiment editor integrated into the app
  • More documentation for the editor
  • Ability to form averages
  • Support for older iPhones (iPhone 6)
  • Add GPS satellite count display
  • Add speedometer functionality
  • Add Lux measurement using light sensor/camera
  • Ability to play recorded audio
  • Limit input for sound analyzers (dB/Hz range)
  • Wi-Fi and RF module access for EMF analysis
  • iWatch integration
  • Improve audio generator capability
  • Allow background/screen locked recording
  • Add light sensor functionality
  • Change units of measurement
  • Add more precise measurements for static cases
  • Add FFT and spectral generation for accelerometer
  • Support for older devices
  • Improve UI/UX for new users
  • Add support for more languages
  • Add a donate option

SAM 3D

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

phyphox

No in-app purchases

None

SAM 3D

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is phyphox free?
phyphox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SAM 3D free?
SAM 3D is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do phyphox or SAM 3D have ads?
SAM 3D shows ads; phyphox does not.
Which is updated more often, phyphox or SAM 3D?
phyphox ships an update every 3 months, and SAM 3D every 11 days. Most recently, phyphox was updated on October 12, 2026 and SAM 3D on October 5, 2026.

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