Apple iBeacon hardware revealed in FCC filings

apple ibeacon fcc

Apple’s iBeacon technology has seen a lot of success in its first year. The tech, which allows administrators to push data to smartphones based on their location, has already been adopted by a number of retailers and organizations.

But thus far, Apple’s success with iBeacons has been limited to software, as it’s left the hardware up to third-party firms. It looks like that’s about to change, though, as FCC filings reveal that the company has built its own iBeacon…

First discovered by electronics company Securifi (via TUAW), the documents reveal that the iBeacon measures 5.46-inches in diameter and has a highest working frequency of 2.4GHz (standard for Bluetooth). It’s also USB-powered.

It’s unclear at this point whether Apple will actually launch its iBeacon hardware or not. It could simply keep the device for itself, to use in its retail stores where it has already deployed the tech, or it could market it to other businesses.

HomeKit

It’s also possible that the iBeacon will wind up as a consumer product, as part of Apple’s just-launched HomeKit platform. Last month, 9to5Mac reported that the company was working on hardware for its new connected-home initiative.

There are currently several beacon products available, at a wide range of price points based on functionality.