Mission Control App – what the app from Specialized is capable of

In the e-bike sector, the name Specialized primarily stands for sporty e-MTBs that also meet professional demands. Innovation is a top priority for the brand. It is therefore not surprising that Specialized has an e-bike app: the Specialized Mission Control app. It is available free of charge for Android and iOS smartphones and includes configuration options, route tracking and a diagnostic function.

However, the Mission Control app is not the only smartphone app for Specialized Turbo Bikes. There is also BLEvo, a competing product from an independent developer. It is therefore all the more interesting to see what functions the Mission Control app has to offer and how well it works in practice.

The manufacturer – a few words about Specialized

Founded in 1974, Specialized is an American company that initially produced touring tyres before becoming known for the world’s first mass-produced mountain bike, the “Stumpjumper”. Today, Specialized is one of the most popular bicycle brands worldwide.

In the e-bike sector, Specialized stands out above all with its Levo and Kenovo e-MTB series. These high-end models are intended for demanding off-road adventures. On the other hand, the brand also offers high-quality Turbo Bikes – that’s what Specialized calls e-bikes – for beginners and people with a smaller budget. The hallmarks of Specialized e-bikes include a frame in which the battery, cables and drive are integrated, as well as powerful motors from Brose, which are complemented by in-house software (and in some cases turbo connect unit).

The Specialized Mission Control app at a glance

You can download the Specialized Mission Control app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Once you have installed it, you only need to register. Then you can enjoy all of its functions.

Features of the Mission Control app

The official app from Specialized currently offers the following functions:

Summary of the functions

Route tracking, motor settings, maintenance: the Specialized Mission Control app focuses on the essentials. For both navigation and theft protection, you have to rely on other solutions. However, the app’s configuration options sound quite reasonable in theory.

How good is the app in practice? – Reviews

As we touched on in our overview article on e-bike apps, most apps on the market come from manufacturers. The catch is that the manufacturers have extensive expertise in developing electric bikes or e-bike drives, but much less expertise in software development. That’s why many apps look promising in the preview, but often disappoint in practice.

The Specialized Mission Control app is no exception in this respect. At least the reviews from users are mixed. In addition to connection problems, riders mainly criticise inaccurate data and various bugs. Updates in the recent past have tended to make things worse.

So as it stands, the Mission Control app is not a game changer. Fortunately, you have more than one alternative.

Alternative to the Mission Control app – BLEvo

We already hinted at it at the beginning of this article. If you ride a Specialized Turbo Bike, depending on the model, you have the choice of which app you use. Because in addition to the official Specialized Mission Control app, there is BLEvo app with more tunable features.

This app is designed by an independent app developer Paolo Dozio. It is aimed specifically at owners of a Specialized Levo or Kenevo.

Functions of the BLEvo app

BLEvo offers you the following functions:

• Configure parameters on the e-bike
• Automatic adjustment of the support based on your heart rate or the force with which you pedal (Smart HR, Smart Power)
• Ride recording
• Monitoring of bike data via GPS navigation

BLEvo can also be used as a tuning app. However, we advise against this in a detailed article. E-bike tuning can lead to severe penalties and even worse consequences in the event of an accident. On top of that, the more e-bike owners use tuning apps, the greater the risk that e-bikes will generally be classified as vehicles subject to insurance in the near future.

Evaluation of the BLEvo app

Unlike the Specialized Mission Control app, BLEvo is not free. On the contrary – 8.99 euros is a considerable price for an e-bike app. But according to reviews, the app is worth every cent of it. Above all, the diverse setting options and the Smart HR function make some people talk about a completely new riding experience. With a few exceptions, the app delivers in practice what it promises in theory.

However, BLEvo has one weak point: the UI/UX design does not seem mature, which in turn increases the learning time. This shows that Paolo Dozio is a talented developer, but not necessarily a gifted designer.

The PowUnity app – a manufacturer-independent alternative for your Specialized Turbo Bike

Whether you ride a Specialized Turbo Bike or an e-bike from another manufacturer, with the PowUnity app and the BikeTrax GPS tracker you get a reliable solution for route tracking and highly efficient theft protection:

Here’s how it works:

• The GPS tracker is invisibly mounted inside your e-bike motor.
• If someone tries to tamper with your e-bike, the PowUnity app alerts you on your smartphone.
• If you arrive too late to stop the thieves, not all is lost. On the contrary: with the PowUnity app and the BikeTrax GPS tracker, the chances of getting your bike back are excellent. Because you can transmit the real-time data of the bike (and thus of the thieves) to the police directly via the app.
• In addition, the PowUnity app automatically records all your routes without you having to do anything. You can also export the recordings to Strava or Komoot.

From 2023, our app will be able to do even more. You will be able to use it as a display, view speed and performance data and plan maintenance via the app.

For e-bike manufacturers who cooperate with PowUnity, we offer a white label solution of the PowUnity app.

Conclusion on the Mission Control – Specialized app

Specialized rightly enjoys an excellent reputation as a manufacturer of high-performance electric bikes. The brand’s e-mountain bikes in particular have been setting standards for many years.

Unfortunately, the Specialized Mission Control app is less convincing. Although there is little to criticise about the basic concept of the app (apart from a rather minimalist range of functions), user experience shows that it works more badly than well in practice. No wonder that many owners of a Turbo Bike turn to BLEvo. Because the alternative performs better in all respects.

One thing neither Mission Control nor BLEvo offer is efficient theft protection for your valuable Specialized bike. With the PowUnity app and the BikeTrax GPS tracker, you are protected even from professional thieves. In addition, you benefit from many other advantages, regardless of which e-bike you ride and which brand its motor comes from.