Way back in July, Apple registered FCC certification for a new piece of iBeacon Bluetooth hardware. Naturally, 9to5Mac covered the release of wireless certification documents for the hardware. It was unclear by those filings the nature of the product, whether it was targeted at use in Apple Stores, some form of developer testing equipment or something else entirely. The product was never made publicly available for purchase, for unknown reasons.
However, time has elapsed such that the rest of Apple’s submitted documents are now available to the public. Vitally, this includes a user manual which immediately signals that this iBeacon hardware was meant for developers, presumably to test iBeacon integration in their own apps. It’s unclear, though, if this is meant to be used ‘in the wild’. Read on for an exposition on the workings of this mysterious device.
The Apple iBeacon mounts to a wall with a standard screw. There is an LED on the underside of the unit, which reports battery condition and general status. Although there is no mention of battery life, it probably lasts several months (Bluetooth Low Energy doesn’t drain much power) and can be recharged via micro-USB.
A switch on the side device allows it to be reprogrammed, so it can be configured as necessary. The document mentions an accompanying Apple iBeacon app, which seemingly can be used to control the device, although there are no images of what the app looks like. The rest of the document, which can be found on the FCC website, covers boilerplate warnings about safety and cleaning. Unsurprisingly, pricing details are not mentioned.
Maybe the Apple iBeacon will see the light of day eventually … For now, a whole range of third-party products have popped up to fill the gap, from vendors such as Estimote. The current state of beacons is very fragmented, with different iBeacon makers offering productions with varying advantages and downsides. Official Apple reference hardware could help this situation for app developers to create a more consistent experience.
Apple has been pushing iBeacons on many fronts, including indoor mapping. Beacons are used alongside other location technologies to pinpoint the user’s location in places where GPS can’t reach, like shopping malls. Beacons can also be used to automatically trigger the display of built-in maps, removing the need for iOS users to manually switch navigation modes.
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The link in “which can be found on the FCC website” returns an error message: You are not authorized to access this page.
https://apps.fcc.gov/eas/GetApplicationAttachment.html?id=2315972
Regards (and happy new year)
Uh yeah, these aren’t exactly “unreleased” as they are in beta testing at the Apple Store in Valley Fair Mall. They have been hanging there for the last 5 months.
Have any pictures?
It seems quite interesting that apple is building its own Hardware. It says Battery Life last for several months but I would say it will probably last for 1-3 years since at 100 milliseconds advert frequency, which is apple suggested advert frequency, most 3rd party beacons last for 2 years almost. At Blue Sense Networks we offer the wider range of Beacon HW Options worldwide and we are releasing a new Beacon model that lasts for 5 years. You can check our Beacons in the following link http://bluesensenetworks.com/shop/
Happy New Year to Everyone from Blue Sense Networks!
Can consumers buy these?
FINALLY! Official apple iBeacons!
In a fragmented hardware market it’s nice to see Apple provide continuity. I would be worried if I was a 3rd party beacon provider
That’s some interesting news. Thanks for sharing. Is great news that Apple is finally building its own hardware. And from the looks of it it will have a battery life last of about 1-3 years since at an ad frequency of 100 milliseconds ( as mentioned in Apple’s iBeacon Specification) most 3rd party beacons last for 2 years almost. Today, with so many beacon players in the market, it can be tough to keep track of new companies innovating in this space. In fact, with 79% of UK brands planning to implement proximity marketing over the next 6 months, most beacon providers are busy engineering beacons that are more energy efficient and better at location accuracy. We have talked about the 3 new beacon hardware players to watch out for in 2015 here:
http://blog.mobstac.com/2015/03/3-new-beacon-hardware-players-to-watch-out-for/