Why iBeacon Apple's best NFC

Despite the fashion trend of manufacturers to install in their smartphones chips NFC, Apple does not hurry up to do it. And hardly ever do at all. Why? Because Apple has iBeacon.

Admit it, if you've heard anything about this technology? I think not. Apple announced its quiet, we can say quietly. Mention of iBeacon during WWDC'13 conference appeared only once on a single slide. Here on this:

A more about this technology, told a very different company, which plans to use it - startup Estimote shared explanatory video clip:

Keyword in the description iBeacon determination is "micro-location." That is the definition of a user's location within the premises. In this work and construction technology. Determining the position of the user in, for example, a shopping center, with the help of iBeacon can send him on a smartphone offers from a particular store, next to which the user is currently is.

To determine the location inside buildings with sufficient accuracy unsuitable familiar technologies (A-GPS, Wi-Fi), and Apple uses Bluetooth Low Energy protocol (BLE), which is characterized by reduced power. BLE enables communication at a shorter distance than the traditional Bluetooth, but still this is a link on region - unlike NFC, wherein to create a contact between the phone and the label must be practically their contact.

Let us remember how the NFC. To make a payment the user brings the smart phone over a reader, there is a "recognition" of the smartphone and the identification of the user and his data. Roughly speaking, the scheme works similarly to that for all kinds of payment cards - that is a very simple scheme of interaction.

BLE allows the use of more complex schemes. As we have said, the user may receive marketing and other communications from the shops, including, by the way, and electronic coupons. At the same time sending such communications can be carried out taking into account the preferences of the user-defined based on previous visits to the store. Simplistically, if you are in a clothing store several times to buy things the same brand, and then offer you a smartphone comes exactly from this brand. Moreover, you can come a message that the clothes of your favorite brand is sold also in other shops - and show in which direction you need to move.

And if you go back to electronic payments, in the presence iBeacon users do not even have approach the box office - enough to be in range of "beacons» BLE, which will be located everywhere.

And by the way, it is very appropriate to recall the fingerprint sensor in the iPhone 5s, which just fits perfectly into the scheme iBeacon work.

There are, however, a potential problem. When working iBeacon (and BLE) data is exchanged by radio signal - and thus, there is a chance that some data may be intercepted and used to harm the user. But everything depends on the development of systems based on iBeacon and BLE. With proper protection and data encryption risk of leakage is minimized.

Thus, iBeacon - it really is a revolutionary feature in iOS 7 and iPhone 5s functionality may be much broader than we imagine. Apple continues to pave the way for the future - in the case of iBeacon without making loud announcements.