iBeacon manual goes into the wild, appears on FCC web site

Apple probably didn’t intend to have its iBeacon design go into the wild.

Still, it’s an interesting piece of hardware.

Per 9to5Mac, a user manual designed for developers detailing the iBeacon hardware has become available via the FCC web site and visible via appadvice.com.

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 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.