‘Proximity’ is Samsung’s Answer to Apple’s iBeacon

Samsung’s ‘Proximity’, an upcoming feature that is being advertised by the Korean company as a “marketing platform that connects consumers with places via cutting-edge Samsung location and context-aware technology” on a dedicated website, is actually nothing more than exactly what Apple’s iBeacon does i.e enabling communication between your mobile device and the places you go.

“For example! Say you’re in Macy’s getting a fancy new cashmere shawl. If Macy’s has iBeacon/Proximity set up (via in-store transmitters), the store could tell you what’s on sale, what might match, and a variety of other information. That information could be helpful (clothing match suggestions), it could be nonsense (“spend over $1,000, get 15 percent off!”), and it could be somewhere in-between.”

Engadget details that the difference between Apple’s iBeacon and Samsung’s Proximity is how the services function on your mobile devices. The iBeacon is enabled through the App Store software but Proximity functions on a system level. “That means potentially deeper integration for companies employing proximity-based beacon technology — think push notifications and the like.” This also means that you won’t need the Macy’s app (or any other) to get those shopping suggestions.

Samsung has announced that Proximity works with a variety of low-power Bluetooth LTE beacons, and interested companies are free to sign up at this link.