Comparison

Philips Illuminate vs Hover

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

Head to head
About

Philips Illuminate

Control and customize your smart lighting system from your phone or tablet. Adjust colors, brightness, and functions, or synchronize lights to music. Network multiple kits for a larger, coordinated light display.

Highlights
  • Customizable lighting control
  • Color and brightness adjustment
  • Music synchronization
  • Create custom light functions
  • Network multiple light kits
  • Continuous Motion technology
Features
Read full description

Create your own light show using the Illuminate™ customizable lighting system. Control your lights from your smart phone or tablet using the Illuminate™ app. The easy to use app allows you to adjust the color, brightness or function of your Illuminate™ lights. Synchronize your lights to music or make your own customized light show. For a more robust display, network several starter kits together and use add on sets. The Illuminate™ starter kit includes one control box and one 25 light string. Connect up to 12 Illuminate™ lights strings (300 lights) to one control box for a fully synchronized light show using the Illuminate™ add on light sets. Only Illuminate™ features Continuous Motion™ technology, ensuring that the functions will travel through the length of all connected strings, keeping your light show perfectly coordinated. Customize your light show: • Choose a color from color wheel or select preset buttons for warm white, cool white or multi lights. • Make colors brighter or dimmer. • Choose from 21 pre made functions for a variety of effects, or create your own functions/colors. • Choose the speed of the function. • Select music from your own device and the lights automatically flash and change colors. Network your light sets: • Using your home WiFi router, network several starter kits together to create a whole house light show. • Each starter kit can be set for a different effect, or set your entire light display to one function. • Continuous Motion™ technology synchronizes colors and functions throughout all connected light strings.

About

Hover

Connect your compatible hoverboard via Bluetooth to monitor speed, battery life, and track trips. Adjust skill levels, access support, and customize light colors on supported models.

Highlights
  • Bluetooth connectivity
  • Track trips and mileage
  • View speed and battery life
  • Change skill levels
  • Access manuals and support
  • Customize light colors
Features
Read full description

The Hover-1 App is compatible with the following Hover-1 models: Beast Charger Eclipse H1 Horizon Nomad (no color changing lights) Superstar Titan (no color changing lights) The Hover-1 App allows you to connect several models via Bluetooth to do the following: - Change skill levels - Access manuals and customer support - Track trips, mileage & use GPS - View speed - View battery life - Change color of lights (not available on all models) Please note, continued of GPS location can dramatically decrease your devices battery life. Thank You for Choosing Hover-1, America’s #1 Hoverboard Brand! The App requires iOS9.0 above the system. Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

Screenshots

Philips Illuminate4 screens
Hover4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Hover at 2.9 against Philips Illuminate's 1.9. Hover also leads on review sentiment (26% vs 9%) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Hover holds the better App Store score, 2.9 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hover has 1.2K ratings behind it against 138, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 9% of Philips Illuminate's written reviews are positive against 26% of Hover's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Philips Illuminate ships an update every 3 months, Hover every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Philips Illuminate versus Hover: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhilips IlluminateHover
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.9 (138 ratings)2.9 (1.2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews9.4% of reviews25.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1381.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better9.0
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSeasonal Specialties LLCDGL Group LTD

Customer experience

Philips Illuminate

All ratings138 ratings
Positive14.5%
Neutral11.6%
Negative73.9%
Written reviews64 reviews
Positive9.4%
Neutral15.6%
Negative75.0%

Hover

All ratings1,185 ratings
Positive42.3%
Neutral11.5%
Negative46.2%
Written reviews147 reviews
Positive25.9%
Neutral16.3%
Negative57.8%

Bugs and requests

Philips Illuminate

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Hover

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App unable to connect to hoverboard
  • Incorrect battery percentage display
  • Inability to change LED light colors
  • Sudden hoverboard malfunctions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more hoverboard models
  • Improve jerkiness and responsiveness of hoverboard
  • Add e-scooter support
  • Implement a lock system to prevent theft

In-app purchases

None

Philips Illuminate

No in-app purchases

None

Hover

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Philips Illuminate free?
Philips Illuminate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hover free?
Hover is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Philips Illuminate or Hover?
Hover is rated higher. Philips Illuminate averages 1.9 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while Hover averages 2.9 from 1.2K ratings.
Do Philips Illuminate or Hover have ads?
Neither Philips Illuminate nor Hover shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Philips Illuminate or Hover?
Philips Illuminate ships an update every 3 months, and Hover every 5 weeks. Most recently, Philips Illuminate was updated on October 4, 2026 and Hover on October 8, 2026.

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