nRF Programmer for Thingy vs Qorvo NI Background
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
nRF Programmer for Thingy
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The nRF Programmer allows users to upload precompiled firmware samples from the nRF Connect SDK to your Nordic Thingy:53 over Bluetooth® Low Energy (LE), without connecting to a PC or external programmer. This allows you to easily test out different applications and update firmware without the need of having physical access to the device. Read more about Thingy:53 at https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/Development-hardware/Nordic-Thingy-53
Qorvo NI Background
This app allows developers to scan for and connect to Qorvo UWB development kits. It provides real-time ranging information and can receive BLE packets in the background to trigger notifications.
- Scan for Qorvo UWB development kits
- Connect and disconnect to multiple kits
- Get simultaneous ranging information
- Receive BLE packets in background
- Trigger notifications via BLE
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With this application developers will be able to: • Scan for Qorvo UWB development kits • Connect (automatically to known devices) and disconnect to multiple development kits • Get ranging information simultaneously from all the development kits connected (distance) • When in the background, the app will keep the NI Session and can receive BLE packets to trigger notifications
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: nRF Programmer for Thingy at 13.0 against Qorvo NI Background's 16.0. 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.
nRF Programmer for Thingy ships an update every 8 months, Qorvo NI Background every 13 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | nRF Programmer for Thingy | Qorvo NI Background |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 3.7 (3 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months — better | Every 13 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nordic Semiconductor ASA | Qorvo |
In-app purchases
nRF Programmer for Thingy
No in-app purchases
Qorvo NI Background
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is nRF Programmer for Thingy free?
Is Qorvo NI Background free?
Do nRF Programmer for Thingy or Qorvo NI Background have ads?
Which is updated more often, nRF Programmer for Thingy or Qorvo NI Background?
Other comparisons
