Comparison

IQbuds vs CE Smart

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

Head to head
About

IQbuds

Customize your intelligent wireless earbuds to enhance your hearing experience. Personalize sound profiles, control ambient noise, and focus on specific sounds for clearer conversations and immersive audio.

Highlights
  • Ear ID hearing assessment and personalization
  • Focus on directional sounds
  • World Blend ambient noise control
  • SINC for clearer conversations
  • IQstream TV audio control
  • Music and call streaming
Read full description

Unlock the power to hear with IQbuds from Nuheara. The IQbuds companion app unlocks the powerful customization features available in our award winning IQbuds, IQbuds BOOST and IQbuds2 MAX. IQbuds - INTELLIGENT WIRELESS EARBUDS WITH SINC WORLD CONTROL IQbuds are intelligent true wireless ear buds that enable you to stream music, answer phone calls and control how you hear the world around you. IQbuds BOOST – INTELLIGENT WIRELESS HEARING BUDS WITH EAR ID AUDIOMETRIC PERSONALIZATION IQbuds BOOST is a revolution for personalized assistive listening devices. Built with all the great features of our award-winning IQbuds; we’ve added the innovative Ear ID personalization system, a clinically backed audiometric hearing assessment that calibrates the IQbuds to your unique hearing profile. IQbuds2 MAX – THE WORLDS MOST ADVANCED HEARING BUD IQbuds2 MAX with Active Noise Cancellation and Ear ID Personalization are the worlds most advanced hearing buds. IQbuds2 MAX combines features comparable to high end noise cancellation headsets with customized sound controls personalized to your hearing profile so you can hear the world your way. IQstream TV - The Nuheara App supports IQstream TV. Use BOOST or MAX with IQstream TV to control your own TV audio feed; where you can blend TV volume and the people around you, all in high fidelity sound. EAR ID - Transform Your Hearing in 3 Easy Steps (IQbuds BOOST and MAX feature only) From the comfort of your home and in less than 10 minutes, Ear ID allows you to assess your own hearing and then automatically calibrates the earbuds to your own personal hearing profile. Assess - Download the Nuheara IQbuds App and complete the Ear ID, in app hearing test. Personalize - Ear ID will personalize your IQbuds automatically, using Audiological industry standard algorithms. Hear - Hear your world better instantly, and re-calibrate as often as you like without visiting a hearing clinic. FOCUS - Directional Hearing (IQbuds BOOST and MAX feature only) Focus uses audio beam forming technology to isolate and enhance sounds directly in front of you. WORLD BLEND and SINC - Blend the perfect amount of Ambient noise with the world control feature; While SINC helps you to hear conversations better by turning down noise in a noisy environment. NOTE: the app requires a compatible IQbuds, IQbuds BOOST or IQbuds2 MAX ear buds to work with it. This app is compatible with IQstream TV. See www.nuheara.com for more information on how to purchase.

About

CE Smart

Control your smart home devices remotely from anywhere. Manage multiple devices, set schedules, and automate your home with voice commands. Easily share control with family members for a connected living experience.

Highlights
  • Remote device control
  • Simultaneous multi-device management
  • Voice control integration
  • Automated scheduling and timers
  • Device sharing with family
  • Easy device setup
  • Custom automations and scenes
Features
Read full description

CE Smart, CE Smart Home, Smart Living, Wi-Fi Connected Devices, Remote Control 1. Remote Control: Turn devices on/off from anywhere in the world with the mobile app 2. Simultaneous Control: Add, Configure, Monitor and Control multiple devices with one app 3. Voice Control: Works with Amazon Alexa, the Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts 4. Timer: Create schedules to automate turning lights and appliances on and off 5. Device Sharing: Easily share device control among family members 6. Easy Set-up: Quickly connect and set-up devices using the app 7. Automations and Scenes: Advanced scheduling and grouping features

Screenshots

IQbuds4 screens
CE Smart4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: CE Smart at 4.8 against IQbuds's 3.0. CE Smart also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). IQbuds's advantage is review sentiment (50% vs 41%) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 14.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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

CE Smart holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CE Smart has 2.3K ratings behind it against 55, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of IQbuds's written reviews are positive against 41% of CE Smart's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

IQbuds ships an update every 3 months, CE Smart every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
IQbuds versus CE Smart: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIQbudsCE Smart
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (55 ratings)4.8 (2.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews — better40.7% of reviews
Number of ratings552.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch
Requires iOS10.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size197 MB218 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperNuheara LimitedCharging Essentials

Customer experience

IQbuds

All ratings55 ratings
Positive49.1%
Neutral3.6%
Negative47.3%
Written reviews52 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral3.8%
Negative46.2%

CE Smart

All ratings2,334 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral2.7%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews86 reviews
Positive40.7%
Neutral7.0%
Negative52.3%

User reviews

IQbuds

From 55 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎧 Great sound quality
  • 👂 Excellent for hearing loss
  • ✨ Innovative features
  • 👍 Easy initial setup
  • 🔋 Good battery life with case

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App is buggy and frustrating
  • ❌ Connectivity issues
  • ⚠️ Poor customer service
  • 📉 Battery drains quickly
  • 🎧 Earbuds fall out easily

CE Smart

From 2.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Efficient and reliable
  • 🔌 Easy to set up and use
  • 📊 Helpful energy monitoring
  • 🔒 Secure and stable connection
  • 🗓️ Convenient scheduling and automation

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent connection issues and app crashes
  • 🔧 Poor customer support and lack of troubleshooting
  • 📱 Compatibility problems with iOS updates
  • 🚫 Devices randomly going offline
  • 🤔 Confusing setup and configuration

Bugs and requests

IQbuds

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Double tap and long tap not responding
  • App cancels Ear ID process if interrupted
  • Ear ID disappears after logging out
  • Profile selection not always switching
  • Firmware updates cause issues
Show 5 more
  • Earbuds cycle through modes randomly
  • Battery level fluctuates randomly
  • App gets stuck on setup screen
  • Bluetooth connection drops frequently
  • App shows earbuds as disconnected when they are connected

Requested features

10 requests
  • Add customizable EQ settings
  • Implement a factory reset function
  • Develop an Apple Watch version
  • Add information on replacement tips
  • Improve video tutorials with clearer audio or text
Show 5 more
  • Add a dark mode option
  • Allow adjustment of volume without the phone
  • Add more advanced music EQ options
  • Increase the number of custom presets
  • Add a way to delay earbuds turning on

CE Smart

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Widgets not working after iOS updates
  • Unable to change device names or locations
  • Alexa integration not functioning properly
  • Scheduled timers and automations not reliable
  • App freezing and becoming unresponsive

Requested features

5 requests
  • Export energy usage data
  • Improved widget functionality
  • Apple Watch app support
  • Backup and restore device settings
  • Seamless integration with smart home ecosystems

In-app purchases

None

IQbuds

No in-app purchases

None

CE Smart

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is IQbuds free?
IQbuds is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CE Smart free?
CE Smart is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, IQbuds or CE Smart?
CE Smart is rated higher. IQbuds averages 3.0 out of 5 from 55 ratings, while CE Smart averages 4.8 from 2.3K ratings.
Do IQbuds or CE Smart have ads?
IQbuds shows ads; CE Smart does not.
Which is updated more often, IQbuds or CE Smart?
IQbuds ships an update every 3 months, and CE Smart every 4 months. Most recently, IQbuds was updated on October 15, 2026 and CE Smart on October 11, 2026.

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