Not being entirely apples and oranges, iBeacon and Physical Web (UriBeacon) function for quite different purposes and have very little overlap in their use cases.
The Physical Web is entirely about person-to-machine interaction and standardizing a universal usage method for the Internet of Everything (#IoT). Scott Jenson’s 2011 talk about “Why mobile apps must die?” shows that the vision and purpose behind the Physical Web extend beyond the time when iBeacon was first launched. As of today, this vision, like iBeacon, has committed to make use of Bluetooth Smart signaling to realize its purpose.
iBeacon technology is a means to deliver people visual and written context in the form of a notification on a smart phone or tablet. The Physical Web, on the other hand, is a tool for the people to use and control other smart devices that are sure to exponentially increase in number soon. They are both fundamental tools to merge the physical world with the digital. They both use small beacons that run with Bluetooth Smart technology. Both are micro-location sensitive. Both are milestones for the emerging era of the IoT. However, whereas one is useful for conveying a message to an audience, the other is useful for monitoring and defining tasks to the smart objects that make up the whole of IoT.
Below, we tried to clarify how they compare.
How are they similar?
- Using Bluetooth Smart Technology
- Mobile device interaction
- Using micro-location
How are they different?
