Smart Lunchbox Control App

I’m building a Wi-Fi enabled lunchbox that can both heat and cool food, and I need a companion mobile app that gives users full control from their phone. The app must run natively on both iOS and Android.

Core features
• Real-time temperature monitoring – display current internal temperature of the lunchbox.
• Temperature control – let the user choose a target heating or cooling setting.
• Timer settings – schedule when the unit should start or stop heating/cooling.

Workflow I’m expecting
1. Technical discovery: you review the product concept and suggest the most reliable way for the app to communicate over Wi-Fi with the lunchbox’s micro-controller (MQTT, REST, or another lightweight protocol).
2. UI/UX draft: supply low-fidelity mock-ups so we can lock the flow before you code.
3. Cross-platform development: build the production app in a modern stack (Swift/SwiftUI and Kotlin, Flutter, or React Native—open to your recommendation) with secure onboarding and OTA update hooks for future firmware upgrades.
4. Testing & hand-off: deliver source code, build instructions, and a short video walkthrough; assist with TestFlight / Google Play internal testing upload.

Bill of materials
Alongside the app you’ll prepare a basic BOM for the lunchbox’s Wi-Fi module, temperature sensors, heating/cooling elements, power management, and any supporting components, including estimated unit pricing based on typical MOQ so I can validate overall feasibility.

What will win the job
• Proven experience with IoT or smart-appliance apps.
• Ability to prototype quickly and iterate.
• Clear, itemised quote that separates app development cost from the preliminary BOM estimate.

Tell me which tech stack you propose, a rough timeline, and any similar apps you have shipped. I’m ready to start as soon as we agree on scope and milestones.