Comparison

BLEReader Configuration App vs WristBuddy

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

Head to head
About

BLEReader Configuration App

Features
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BLEReader Configuration App is a software tool to configure the setting of AST BLE Readers. It allows the input of SiteKey & AppKey for the BLE Reader communication. The following functions are supported: - BLE Reader Name Changing - IBeacon Setting - Other custom commands

About

WristBuddy

Features
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Know how your phone is doing — without picking it up. WristBuddy lives on your Apple Watch and shows what your iPhone is doing right now: battery, charging, Wi-Fi and cellular, motion, silent mode, Focus, lock state, air pressure, and thermal state — all glanceable from your wrist. SOUND FAMILIAR? • Phone charging in another room? Glance at your wrist and unplug it when it's ready. • About to walk into a meeting? Know it's really on silent without pulling it out under the table. • Charging it inside a bag, or tethering a hotspot? Keep an eye on its temperature and catch it running hot. • Left your phone away on purpose? Stay aware of anything urgent without breaking the moment. WHAT'S FREE • Battery range (Below 20% / 20-50% / 50-90% / Above 90%) • Watch dashboard with stale-snapshot indicator • "Hey Siri, ring my iPhone with WristBuddy" (beta) UNLOCK PRO (pay once, yours forever) • Exact battery percentage and charging state • Wi-Fi and Cellular connectivity (separate rows), with network generation (5G / LTE) • Motion detection — is the iPhone being touched right now? • Silent and Focus mode • Lock state — is the iPhone locked right now? • Distance from your iPhone (UWB; iPhone 11+ paired with Apple Watch S6+) • Air pressure — barometric pressure (hPa) from your iPhone's barometer • Thermal state — is your iPhone running hot while it charges or works? (Normal / Fair / Serious / Critical) • Find My Watch (beta) — buzz your Apple Watch from your iPhone • Apple Watch screen on iPhone — see your Watch's battery from your iPhone • Reorderable status rows — drag to reorder which features show on your Watch • Lock Screen Live Activity — both batteries and link state pinned to your iPhone Lock Screen and Dynamic Island • Get iPhone Status shortcut for Shortcuts automations WHY WRISTBUDDY • Pay once. Never a subscription. Never ads. • No account. No sign-up. • No cloud. No analytics. No tracking. No third-party SDKs. • Everything stays on your iPhone and Apple Watch. • Privacy nutrition label: Data Not Collected — every category unchecked. PRIVACY BY DESIGN WristBuddy uses Apple's built-in WatchConnectivity framework, so your iPhone and Apple Watch talk directly to each other over Bluetooth or local Wi-Fi. No data ever leaves your devices. There is no WristBuddy server, because there isn't one. REQUIREMENTS • iPhone running iOS 16 or later (iOS 16.1+ for the Lock Screen Live Activity) • Apple Watch running watchOS 9 or later • UWB distance feature requires iPhone 11+ and Apple Watch Series 6+ • Dynamic Island layout requires iPhone 14 Pro or newer Open the iPhone app once, then forget about it — the iPhone responds in the background. Open the Watch app to see everything at a glance.

Screenshots

BLEReader Configuration App3 screens
WristBuddy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BLEReader Configuration App at none against WristBuddy's 1. BLEReader Configuration App also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). WristBuddy's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 35 months). On price, ads 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. WristBuddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. BLEReader Configuration App asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BLEReader Configuration App ships an update every 35 months, WristBuddy every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
BLEReader Configuration App versus WristBuddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBLEReader Configuration AppWristBuddy
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 35 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAdvanced System Technology LimitedMario Longhi

In-app purchases

None

BLEReader Configuration App

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

WristBuddy

One-time1
  • WristBuddy$2.99

Questions

Is BLEReader Configuration App free?
BLEReader Configuration App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is WristBuddy free?
WristBuddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do BLEReader Configuration App or WristBuddy have ads?
Neither BLEReader Configuration App nor WristBuddy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BLEReader Configuration App or WristBuddy?
BLEReader Configuration App ships an update every 35 months, and WristBuddy every 4 days. Most recently, BLEReader Configuration App was updated on October 6, 2026 and WristBuddy on October 1, 2026.

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