What is iBeacon?
So you are hearing about iBeacons pretty much everywhere in technology news these days. What are these things?
Well, any explanation of iBeacon should start off with an understanding of the underlying technology. At their core, beacons are small, relatively inexpensive pieces of hardware that use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). They frequently send out a signal intended for Bluetooth equipped mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
We are all familiar with Bluetooth and how it is used to connect devices wirelessly, and we are also probably familiar with the two pain points of this technology: Awkward device pairing and high energy use. Well, the good folks responsible for enhancing the Bluetooth protocol have removed these issues by eliminating manual device pairing requirements and significantly reducing the amount of power required to transmit bluetooth signals. This new version of Bluetooth is often referred to as Bluetooth Low Energy or Bluetooth 4.0.
While there are many uses for Bluetooth Low Energy, one way the technology has been adopted is in small, watch battery powered devices called beacons. iBeacon is Apple’s proprietary approach to how these little transmitters speak to iOS devices. Launched in the Fall of 2013, think of iBeacon as a protocol that allows iPhones to speak to BLE devices in a manner that is consistent with Apple’s overall approach to the iPhone user experience. For example, ‘sleeping’ or closed apps operated on an iOS device can be ‘woken’ up when in range of a beacon using the iBeacon protocol. Because Android has yet to develop their own protocol (much has happened since this post on Android, updates here), these devices don’t speak to beacons in the same way. While BLE receivers are onboard all newer Android devices, user experience elements such as the ability to ‘wake’ apps don’t yet exist on your Samsung Galaxy. But of course, its only a matter of time before we see Android’s version of the iBeacon protocol. Until then, Android phones can still interact with beacons, just not in the same seamless, user friendly fashion.
So what are the implications of beacons? Well, the opportunities are pretty endless. What BLE, and more specifically iBeacon allows for is the ability for mobile apps to be context aware and situationally relevant. That means the content on the app, reflects where the user is. Think of Google Maps — a great app on its own, but made much more valuable with GPS. Without GPS, Google Maps provides little context relevant value. With it, the content the user views is made enhanced based on the apps understanding of where the user is in relation to their environment. iBeacon allows for this same value to exist in apps in a micro way with a level of specificity of about 2 inches to 100 feet.
The use cases for the technology span from museum apps that deliver a self-guided tour based on the piece of art or artifact you are standing in front of, to retail apps that become an in-store shopping companion, putting enhanced product information and reviews of the items you are standing in front of in the palm of your hand.
While large brands such as Macy’s, Target and Major League Baseball have all adopted iBeacon into their apps in various forms, it is safe to say they are currently just testing the technology. A good deal more will emerge in the coming months and years as retailers and brands embrace the technology for what it is and start to shape and enhance the customer experience of the future.
Learn more about how you can get started with beacons and location in your app.
