Apple introduced the new feature of iOS 7 – iBeacon – in a subtle manner. Although there was no special mention in the keynote during the launch event, it took no time for developers to understand that it is not clear but definitely it is a part of a large mobility proximity puzzle, that may be Apple is trying to solve.
Apple introduced and developed the standardized protocol known as iBeacon. Since its inception, manufacturers have produced iBeacon-compatible hardware transmitters. iBeacons allow mobile apps to sense the presence of the small wireless sensor, called a beacon, near the iPhone. As soon as the iPhone enters the zone of beacon, it can transmit the data to your iPhone and vice versa. For data transfer it uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). iBeacon is the feature of iOS 7 and also all iOS 8 and iOS 9 devices too have iBeacon.
iBeacons are small devices that recognises Bluetooth signal from iPhones. It can be used to ping to iPhone users walking nearby notifying about products and services offered by businesses nearby. The user may also get notified about events happening around.
Apple is using iBeacon and other range of technologies to create indoor maps. iBeacon is the new indoor navigation technology which enables small beacon devices to send notifications to devices present in proximity and notify them about their presence. iOS 8 and iOS 9 supports an iOS app to determine its specific indoor position in supported locations.
iBeacon for App Developers:
iBeacon technology revolutionized the world of app development by changing how apps interact with users. Developers can add the new location awareness feature to the app and utilize the Core Location APIs in iOS to receive notifications when any iOS device moves in or out of the beacon region. Additionally, developers can determine approximate proximities with the device generating iBeacon notifications.
At Krify, the young and enthusiastic team of developers are already working towards developing iBeacon solutions to integrate this Apple technology into existing as well as new apps leading to an outstandi ng user experience.
For more about iBeacon: https://developer.apple.com/ibeacon/
https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT202880
