Beacons are Bluetooth devices that transmit signals to nearby devices like smartphones and tablets. Know how QASource can help you in testing beacon-based applications so that the product achieves more accuracy and high security.
Beacons are Bluetooth devices that transmit signals to nearby devices like smartphones and tablets. Beacons broadcast radio signals which are a combination of letters and numbers. Users can configure the time and signal strength between each signal in order to achieve the desired coverage. Beacons trigger and deliver proximity campaigns to a person's phone based on their location.
Source: Fortune Business Insights
Beacon technology depends on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), which is a power-efficient Bluetooth technology that sends out messages at regular intervals. Beacon devices contain a CPU, radio, and batteries, and work by repeatedly broadcasting an identifier.
This identifier is picked up by the user's mobile device. The identifier is a unique ID number that the user's smartphone recognizes as unique to the beacon. Once connected, the beacon will execute whatever function it has been programmed to perform.
The major use of beacon is promoting offers through notifications to passing-by customers so that they may visit the desired store.
Beacons are easy to implement and use and are available at a great price/value factor as compared to other technologies.
Beacons are considered dependable devices since they use Bluetooth, therefore making them free of infrastructural limitations like signal blockage due to walls or basements.
Usually, beacon technology is available with a software development kit (SDK) and back-end management tools, which makes it easy to integrate the beacon solutions with existing applications.
Mostly beacon-based solutions require the user’s consent. During content overload, people disable the Bluetooth on their smartphones which can be challenging when using beacons.
Beacon technology is straightforward for the retail, marketing, and hotel industries. However, there could be a need to hire expert software engineers when using beacon technology in other industries.
While beacons and app notifications both have their place in the market, the comparison between the two will help users decide which one is better. The following table depicts the differences between beacons and app notifications:
The following are a few basic scenarios executed while testing beacon apps:
Testing of an application based on beacons is not the same as testing regular applications. There are various challenges faced while testing this application, as mentioned below:
| Aspect | Challenges | Solutions |
|---|---|---|
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Range of Beacons
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Sometimes, the devices are not detected even when the device is in the beacon's range.
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uBeacon Mesh has been introduced that utilizes Bluetooth 4.1 capabilities to get location-broadcasting beacons into a two-way network. uBeacons receive some data from user's smartphones and if one of uBeacons is connected to the Internet, the entire network is capable of communicating with the cloud and other beacons.
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Internet Connectivity
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If the Internet is disconnected the application gets disconnected from beacons.
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High-speed internet connections are preferred, which covers the mobile devices in the location.
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Multiple Geo-Location Verification
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If the whole team is in geolocation, then stakeholders have to install the app on their mobile devices and use the same from other geolocation.
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To verify such scenarios, Android SDK can be used to send mock GPS information to real devices.
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Battery Drainage
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When the application runs on the devices, the battery drainage varies between 14 to 19 percent.
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Beacon apps should be kept in the background, and the beacon ranging time should be increased.
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According to Global Market Insights, the beacon technology market is projected to surpass $25 billion in 2025. QASource engineers have expertise in testing beacon-based applications and can help you ensure that your beacon-based applications run efficiently.
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