Comparison

BYB Backpack vs PhoneIoT

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

Head to head
About

BYB Backpack

This application allows users to remotely control a two-channel signal generator for TTL signals. It enables the generation of square-wave pulses with adjustable frequency, pulse width, and duration, ideal for electronics projects.

Highlights
  • Remote TTL signal generation
  • Control two independent square-wave pulses
  • Adjustable frequency
  • Adjustable pulse width
  • Adjustable duration
  • Requires BYB remote signal generator hardware
Features
Read full description

BYB Backpack is an educational wireless stimulus generator developed by Backyard Brains. Connect to a BYB Backpack board over Bluetooth, choose a preset frequency, or configure frequency, pulse width, duration, gain, and random mode. A compatible board is required. Original device development was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, NIH (award R43MH093334).

About

PhoneIoT

This app connects to a block-based programming environment, enabling remote access to your device's sensors and display. Students can create interactive projects, like using their device as a remote control for robots.

Highlights
  • Connects to NetsBlox educational programming environment
  • Remotely access iOS device sensors
  • Control device display from code
  • Create engaging programming projects
  • Enable device as robot remote control
Features
Read full description

PhoneIoT allows you to connect to NetsBlox (https://editor.netsblox.org/?), a block-based educational programming environment, and remotely access your iOS device's sensors and display from code. Along with some of the other distributed computing services available through NetsBlox, this allows students to create highly engaging projects, such as turning your iOS device into an accelerometer-enabled remote control driving a virtual or physical robot rolling around on the ground (via the pre-existing RoboScape service on NetsBlox).

Screenshots

BYB Backpack1 screens
PhoneIoT3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: PhoneIoT at 5.0 against BYB Backpack's 3.0. PhoneIoT also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 11 months). On price, ratings volume, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PhoneIoT holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 4 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BYB Backpack ships an update every 11 months, PhoneIoT every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
BYB Backpack versus PhoneIoT: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBYB BackpackPhoneIoT
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings24 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.113.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBackyard BrainsDevin Jean

Customer experience

BYB Backpack

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

PhoneIoT

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

BYB Backpack

No in-app purchases

None

PhoneIoT

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BYB Backpack free?
BYB Backpack is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PhoneIoT free?
PhoneIoT is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BYB Backpack or PhoneIoT?
PhoneIoT is rated higher. BYB Backpack averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while PhoneIoT averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do BYB Backpack or PhoneIoT have ads?
Neither BYB Backpack nor PhoneIoT shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BYB Backpack or PhoneIoT?
BYB Backpack ships an update every 11 months, and PhoneIoT every 2 weeks. Most recently, BYB Backpack was updated on November 1, 2026 and PhoneIoT on November 3, 2026.

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