Comparison

Phoning vs bubble for STARSHIP

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

Head to head
About

Phoning

Connect with your favorite K-pop group, NewJeans, on a personal level. Share daily life updates through messages, photos, and videos, and stay informed with their calendar. Become closer than ever through interactive features and live streams.

Highlights
  • Live streams with NewJeans
  • Direct messaging
  • Photo and video sharing
  • Personalized calendars
  • Friendship building
Features
Read full description

Will you be NewJeans' best friend? Phoning is where you can get to know NewJeans. Share your life with NewJeans on Phoning through LIVEs, messages, photos, and calendars - and become friends for life. [Required access] Device and app activities : For checking app errors and improving usability. Device ID : For checking devices and improving usability. [Optional access] Photos / Media / Files : For downloading photos and videos. Notification: For receiving notifications on content, notices, and more

About

bubble for STARSHIP

Connect directly with your favorite idols through private messages and exclusive content. Engage in real-time chats, receive personalized updates, and celebrate special anniversaries with your chosen artists. Reply to their messages and build a unique connection.

Highlights
  • Private idol messages
  • Dedicated artist content
  • Live chat with idols
  • Reply to idol messages
  • Anniversary tracking
  • In-app language translation
Features
Read full description

Make your day more special with a message like a gift from your favorite idol! Start bubble right now and don't miss out on special private messages between you and your favorite idol! [Service Overview] 01. Favorite Idol's Everyday Story Receive a special everyday message from the artist who calls your name. 02. Favorite Idol's Dedicated Content See dedicated content sent directly from artists. 03. Your favorite idol is waiting for your reply Reply to the artist with a message filled with encouragement and love. 04. Anniversary with Your Favorite Idol Today is Day 1! See the special anniversary date between you and your artist. 05. Chatting in my language Read the artist's message and send a reply in your language. [Optional Access Authority] * You may still use the app even if you do not allow optional access authority. 01. Photo Gallery Used to send and store photos and videos and to set profile pictures and chatroom background images 02. Camera Used to film and send photos and videos and to set profile pictures and chatroom background images 03. Mic Used to record and send voice messages and videos 04. Notification Receive PUSH notifications [Subscription Products] 01. bubble for STARSHIP benefits - You can select artists to receive bubble messages from according to the number of artist subscription coupons you have purchased. - Receive bubbles sent directly from the artist of your choice. 02. Subscription Prices and Period - Subscribe through iTunes, and the payment amount will be billed to your iTunes account. - Prices may vary depending on the number of artist subscriptions you purchase. Please refer to the bubble purchase website for details. - Subscriptions are monthly and automatically renewed. [bubble Official SNS] - X: https://x.com/dearu_bubble - Instagram: https://instagram.com/dearu_bubble [Terms] - Terms of Use: https://ba-api.dear-u.co/terms/?msgType=service&locale=EN&appGroup=STARSHIP - Privacy Policy: https://ba-api.dear-u.co/terms/?msgType=privacyPolicy&locale=EN&appGroup=STARSHIP [Information] - Questions/Suggestions: help_starship@dear-u.co

Screenshots

Phoning4 screens
bubble for STARSHIP4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: bubble for STARSHIP at none against Phoning's shown. bubble for STARSHIP also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 54%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Phoning's advantage is ratings volume (735 vs 21). On price, rating, update cadence 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. Phoning sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.49 per month and bubble for STARSHIP sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for Phoning against 4.0 for bubble for STARSHIP. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Phoning has 735 ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 54% of Phoning's written reviews are positive against 77% of bubble for STARSHIP's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Phoning ships an update every 5 weeks, bubble for STARSHIP every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Phoning versus bubble for STARSHIP: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhoningbubble for STARSHIP
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (735 ratings)4.0 (21 ratings) — better
Positive reviews53.8% of reviews77.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings735 — better21
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB61 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperWEVERSE COMPANY Inc.Dear U Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

Phoning

All ratings726 ratings
Positive73.1%
Neutral8.0%
Negative18.9%
Written reviews383 reviews
Positive53.8%
Neutral16.7%
Negative29.5%

bubble for STARSHIP

All ratings20 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews96 reviews
Positive77.1%
Neutral8.3%
Negative14.6%

Bugs and requests

Phoning

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • ID card and album features not working
  • Constant log-outs and login issues
  • Laggy performance and slow loading times

Requested features

4 requests
  • Translate all messages to English
  • Allow free access to photos and calendar
  • Improve app stability and reduce crashes
  • Offer more affordable subscription options

bubble for STARSHIP

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Phoning

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$8.491 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$84.991 Year
12 purchases

bubble for STARSHIP

Subscriptions12
  • LEE KWANGSOO Ticket$4.491 Month
  • CRAVITY 1 Ticket$4.491 Month
  • IVE 1 Ticket$4.491 Month
Show 9 more
  • MONSTA X 1 Ticket$4.491 Month
  • WJSN 1 Ticket$4.491 Month
  • LEE DONGWOOK Ticket$4.491 Month
  • WJSN 2 Tickets$6.991 Month
  • CRAVITY 2 Tickets$8.491 Month
  • IVE 2 Tickets$8.491 Month
  • MONSTA X 2 Tickets$8.491 Month
  • IVE 3 Tickets$12.491 Month
  • CRAVITY 3 Tickets$12.491 Month

Questions

Is Phoning free?
Phoning is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is bubble for STARSHIP free?
bubble for STARSHIP is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Phoning or bubble for STARSHIP?
bubble for STARSHIP is rated higher. Phoning averages 4.0 out of 5 from 735 ratings, while bubble for STARSHIP averages 4.0 from 21 ratings.
Do Phoning or bubble for STARSHIP have ads?
Phoning shows ads; bubble for STARSHIP does not.
Which is updated more often, Phoning or bubble for STARSHIP?
Phoning ships an update every 5 weeks, and bubble for STARSHIP every 3 weeks. Most recently, Phoning was updated on October 30, 2026 and bubble for STARSHIP on October 30, 2026.

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