LEGO® Powered Up vs Smart Device Controller
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
LEGO® Powered Up
Control motorized LEGO sets like trains and the Batmobile via Bluetooth. Bring your custom LEGO creations to life by coding movements and sounds using drag-and-drop programming. Experience interactive play with lights, sensors, and motors.
- Bluetooth control for LEGO vehicles
- Customizable coding for models
- Drag-and-drop programming
- Add sounds and lights
- Control speed and direction
- Bring custom builds to life
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Combine this app with the LEGO DC Super Heroes App-Controlled Batmobile (76112), the LEGO City Cargo Train (60198), or the LEGO City Passenger Train (60197) (each sold separately) to operate the motorized engines via Bluetooth controls, or use your imagination and build entirely new creations using LEGO Powered Up components and bring them to life by coding them. Make your models move and respond to real-world events. The LEGO Powered Up app puts you in the driver’s seat of the awesome 4-wheel-drive Batmobile to speed through the streets of GOTHAM CITY™. Drive forwards, backwards, left and right… or pull 360-degree turns! You can even activate cool tricks and stunts as you become the Dark Knight and fight crime. You can customize and code your Batmobile tricks and choose your sounds and movements – pretty awesome! The LEGO Powered Up app also controls LEGO trains to haul goods or pick up passengers around LEGO City. You can control the speed, change directions, and bring even more life to your play with various sounds such as a whistle, passenger announcement, railroad crossing bell, and more! The Bluetooth remote control app and the remote control handset included in the LEGO City train sets aren’t compatible with older infrared remote-controlled LEGO train sets. Thanks to Powered Up components like hubs, motors, sensors, and lights you will be able to bring your customized creations to life. You can also bring your existing LEGO models to life. Is your device compatible? Please go to LEGO.com/devicecheck to check if your device is compatible. Ask your parents’ permission before going online. The LEGO Powered Up App Feature List - Access control panels for DC Super Heroes App-Controlled Batmobile, LEGO City Cargo Train or LEGO City Passenger Train. - Control speed and direction of LEGO vehicles with a variety of exciting interfaces. - Add playful sounds and take your play to the next level. - Use LEGO Powered Up hardware components in your customized models to bring them to life! - Code movements and sounds for your models to create real-life behaviors. - Simple, easy-to-understand programming language based on drag’n’drop coding. LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2019 The LEGO Group
Smart Device Controller
Transform your smartphone into a wireless remote for model trains. It offers compatibility with Soundbox, allowing for operation or use as a wireless power pack without the Soundbox. Control your model train setups with ease.
- Wireless model train operation
- Soundbox compatibility
- Use as wireless power pack
- Smartphone remote control
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Operate model trains by wireless control! Compatible with Soundbox! Your smartphone turns into a remote controller for a model train. You can use it as a remote controller for Soundbox. You do not have to use Soundbox and use this product as a wireless power pack. Let's download "Smart Device Controller application" to your smartphone or tablet on hand.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: LEGO® Powered Up at 550 against Smart Device Controller's 6. LEGO® Powered Up also leads on rating (3.6 vs 3.3) and review sentiment (42% vs 27%). Smart Device Controller's advantage is iOS requirement (10.3 vs 12.0). On price, update cadence, 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.
LEGO® Powered Up holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LEGO® Powered Up has 550 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of LEGO® Powered Up's written reviews are positive against 27% of Smart Device Controller's.
LEGO® Powered Up ships an update every 2 months, Smart Device Controller every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.
| Parameter | LEGO® Powered Up | Smart Device Controller |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (550 ratings) — better | 3.3 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 41.5% of reviews — better | 27.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 550 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 10.3 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.5 GB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | LEGO | SEKISUI KINZOKU CO., LTD |
Customer experience
LEGO® Powered Up
Smart Device Controller
Bugs and requests
LEGO® Powered Up
Reported bugs
12 issues- Bluetooth connection drops
- Motors not controllable through app
- Timer blocks don't work
- Motor code blocks don't work
- Coding canvas is broken
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- Loses Bluetooth connection randomly
- Coding blocks not working properly
- App doesn't run in background
- Doesn't work on latest iOS
- Doesn't work with new hubs and motors
- Can only connect one hub at a time
- Train stops when app closes
Requested features
12 requests- Add more sound effects
- Add more music to the playlist
- Allow custom sounds
- Improve parameters
- Add more controls
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- Add more widgets
- Allow custom themes
- Add documentation
- Add support for LEGO Boost and Mindstorms
- Add loop option for sounds
- Add dark mode option
- Add advanced analytics dashboard
Smart Device Controller
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
LEGO® Powered Up
No in-app purchases
Smart Device Controller
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is LEGO® Powered Up free?
Is Smart Device Controller free?
Which has better reviews, LEGO® Powered Up or Smart Device Controller?
Do LEGO® Powered Up or Smart Device Controller have ads?
Which is updated more often, LEGO® Powered Up or Smart Device Controller?
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