Aislelabs, a technology company specialising in big data analytics for retailers has just published what they are calling “The Hitchhikers Guide to iBeacon Hardware”. In 2013, Apple introduced support for Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) (or Bluetooth Smart) in iOS7 as a means for providing finely-tuned location information indoors. The idea is that if you pass an exhibit in a museum, a display in a shop, or approach a check-in gate at the airport, the appropriate app will trigger. In the case of a museum, it may be an interactive guide to the exhibit, while an Airline app may launch the boarding pass. Such functionality is also available on Android, and should be rolling out on Windows Phone shortly.
The beacon itself is very similar. Either battery or mains-powered, it emits a unique signal a few times per second via Bluetooth LE with power levels varying to produce an effective range of between 1 and 50m. All intelligence about what to display to the user on receipt of said beacon is maintained in the cloud, and all interaction is carried out between the user’s device and the cloud. The beacon is therefore very simple, and crucially very cheap – prices of less than $5 are mentioned. Although 16 manufacturers are reviewed in this report, they all rely on chipsets from one of four companies – Nordic Semiconductors, Texas Instruments, Bluegiga and Gimbal (acquired by the ever-present Qualcomm).