Comparison

Stereophile vs Carrier SmartHome

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

Head to head
About

Stereophile

This app provides authoritative reviews, informed recommendations, and helpful advice on audio components, judged by their music reproduction quality. It offers monthly issues with expert opinions and insights for audiophiles.

Highlights
  • Authoritative reviews of audio components
  • Informed recommendations
  • Helpful advice for audiophiles
  • Expert opinions on music reproduction
  • Monthly magazine issues
Features
Read full description

Every month Stereophile magazine offers authoritative reviews, informed recommendations, helpful advice, and controversial opinions, all stemming from the revolutionary idea that audio components should be judged on how they reproduce music. ---SUBSCRIPTION AVAILABLE--- 1-year subscription for $9.99 Your subscription will be billed to your iTunes account upon confirmation of purchase. ---SUBSCRIPTION WILL AUTO-RENEW--- The subscription will include the current issue if you do not already own it and subsequently published future issues. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. This Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period, your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. The cost of the renewal will match the initial subscription price. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. You may turn off auto-renewing subscriptions by going to your user’s Account Settings after purchase. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during your active subscription period. You can view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use here: http://www.avtechmediausa.com/terms.html http://www.avtechmediausa.com/privacy.html

About

Carrier SmartHome

Control your home's comfort remotely with this app. Adjust temperature, set custom schedules, monitor energy usage, and receive important alerts. It offers a personalized and efficient way to manage your home's climate.

Highlights
  • Remote temperature and humidity control
  • Customizable smart schedules
  • Energy usage monitoring
  • Real-time system alerts
  • Personalized comfort settings
Features
Read full description

Carrier SmartHome is your go-to app for managing and personalizing your home’s comfort experience! With a sleek, intuitive design and enhanced features, Carrier SmartHome makes it easier than ever to control your compatible Carrier system remotely, set customized schedules, monitor energy use, and get real-time alerts to ensure your home is always just the way you like it. Key Features: • Remote Control: Adjust temperature, humidity, and settings from anywhere. • Smart Schedules: Create custom schedules to match your routine and save on energy costs. • Energy Insights: Track usage trends to optimize efficiency. • Real-Time Alerts: Receive notifications if anything needs attention, from filter changes to unexpected system performance. With Carrier SmartHome, we’re redefining what home comfort means. Download now and enjoy complete control at your fingertips! This app is compatible with iPhone iOS 15.1 or later.

Screenshots

Stereophile4 screens
Carrier SmartHome4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Stereophile at 4.2 against Carrier SmartHome's 3.5. Stereophile also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). Carrier SmartHome's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, 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. Stereophile sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Carrier SmartHome asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Stereophile holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Carrier SmartHome has 2.6K ratings behind it against 138, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of Stereophile's written reviews are positive against 11% of Carrier SmartHome's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stereophile ships an update every 2 months, Carrier SmartHome fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Stereophile versus Carrier SmartHome: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStereophileCarrier SmartHome
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (138 ratings) — better3.5 (2.6K ratings)
Positive reviews17.1% of reviews — better10.9% of reviews
Number of ratings1382.6K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size85 MB193 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMyTimeMedia LtdCarrier Corporation

Customer experience

Stereophile

All ratings137 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral1.5%
Negative16.8%
Written reviews123 reviews
Positive17.1%
Neutral4.9%
Negative78.0%

Carrier SmartHome

All ratings2,529 ratings
Positive60.8%
Neutral4.7%
Negative34.5%
Written reviews716 reviews
Positive10.9%
Neutral11.2%
Negative77.9%

User reviews

Stereophile

From 138 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 📖 High-quality magazine content and reviews
  • 📱 Works well on iPad devices
  • ✨ Professional layout resembles print edition
  • 🎯 Comprehensive audio equipment coverage

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App frequently crashes and becomes unresponsive
  • 🔐 Subscription recognition failures despite active payments
  • 📥 Issues fail to download or restore properly
  • ⚠️ Inconsistent performance across iOS versions
  • 🔄 Restore purchases function rarely works

Carrier SmartHome

From 2.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Significant improvement
  • 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 👍 Sleek, modern feel
  • 👍 Refreshed look and improved experience
  • 👍 Good screens

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App freezes and requires force quit
  • 🐛 Doesn't show correct operating status
  • 🐛 Doesn't update outside temperature
  • 🐛 Fails to register temperature changes
  • 🐛 Unreliable connection and sync issues

Bugs and requests

Stereophile

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • App crashes every few minutes during use
  • Subscription not recognized despite active payment
  • Issues fail to download or load
  • Restore purchases function non-functional
  • App won't open on latest iOS versions
Show 9 more
  • Lost access to entire library after app updates
  • Login failures with valid credentials
  • Pixelated and fuzzy page rendering
  • Extremely slow page navigation and loading
  • App forgets subscription status on reopening
  • Duplicate charges on subscription renewal
  • Incompatibility with iOS 8 and newer updates
  • Pages partially load then crash
  • Text illegible without zooming on smaller devices

Requested features

10 requests
  • Access to searchable article archive
  • Availability of older back issues with subscription
  • Dynamic formatting for landscape and portrait modes
  • Working hyperlinks to advertisers and external sites
  • Better text resizing and font adjustment options
Show 5 more
  • Reader mode similar to Safari for improved readability
  • Ability to remember reading position between sessions
  • Background download capability
  • Retina display support and higher resolution
  • iPad-optimized interface instead of PDF wrapper

Carrier SmartHome

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • App freezes and becomes unresponsive
  • Operating status not in sync with wall controller
  • Notifications don't work or are delayed
  • AQI data is inaccurate for user's location
  • Temperature changes not reflected in app
Show 1 more
  • Compatibility issues with iOS 18.3.1 update

Requested features

5 requests
  • Show system operating status (heating, cooling)
  • Display energy consumption details
  • Add more temperature schedule options
  • Integrate with Apple HomeKit
  • Show outside temperature measured by the system

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Stereophile

Subscriptions2
  • 1 Month | Stereophile$2.991 Month
  • Stereophile Magazine iPad Edition1 Month trial$9.991 Year
One-time8
  • Annual$0.99
  • February 2012$6.99
  • April 2012$6.99
Show 5 more
  • June 2012$6.99
  • October 2012$6.99
  • December 2012$6.99
  • October 2013$6.99
  • 2016 Buyer's Guide$6.99
None

Carrier SmartHome

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Stereophile free?
Stereophile is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Carrier SmartHome free?
Carrier SmartHome is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Stereophile or Carrier SmartHome?
Stereophile is rated higher. Stereophile averages 4.2 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while Carrier SmartHome averages 3.5 from 2.6K ratings.
Do Stereophile or Carrier SmartHome have ads?
Neither Stereophile nor Carrier SmartHome shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stereophile or Carrier SmartHome?
Stereophile ships an update every 2 months, and Carrier SmartHome fortnightly. Most recently, Stereophile was updated on November 1, 2026 and Carrier SmartHome on November 4, 2026.

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