The uses of radio frequency and wireless connections have evolved a lot since their arrival and have generated many benefits in terms of data transfer, either with the Internet or simply local transfers.
These technologies have served to very well replace wire transfer, yet there are some that have not been fully disclosed.
So today we are going to talk about Android Beam, a technology that is a bit discontinued but that is still operational on many mobile devices. It is very effective when sending information from one mobile to another without having the Internet.
What is the Android Beam application and what is it for on my smartphone?
If you are in a group of people who still have a mobile phone with Android Beam, then you should know that it is a unique feature that allows the transfer of information easily and quickly.
Its operation is given thanks to NFC technology and thanks to it, users who have this feature can transfer between their mobiles:
- Web addresses.
- Contacts information.
- Navigation markers.
- Physical addresses.
- YouTube video links.
All this simply by bringing the mobiles closer to a short distance and without any prior pairing as in other technologies, just make a small touch of the screen to launch the information to the other mobile.
It is important to note that other types of files that are not merely informative cannot be transferred. Well, this technology does not support large amounts of storage, that is, they cannot be transferred with Android Beam:
- Photographs.
- Videos.
- Documents.
NFC technology: What are the advantages of using this technology?
Near field communication, or NFC is one of the many technologies that radiofrequency has left us. It is a wireless technology that allows the transfer of information between any of the devices that have a chip of this type inside.
In addition to the transfer of data in small proportions, it is also implemented to make payments, which has been praised as one of the safest ways in physical establishments.
NFC is a great technology and has great advantages:
Speed: This technology works instantly when it comes to transferring data in small proportions. Also, the way to connect is very fast, since it is only necessary to bring the two devices closer.
Security: when used to pay, this technology manages very secure protocols by generating unique codes for each transaction, making it impossible for it to be violated.
Low energy consumption: its operation is instantaneous and does not consume large amounts of energy like other radio frequency technologies, for example, WiFi or Bluetooth.
Even so, NFC has two observations, one of which is that in order to connect the devices must be less than 20 centimeters and that the transfer amounts must be small.
NFC vs Bluetooth What is the best technology to connect and send data?
Bluetooth is another of the great applications of radio-frequency and this allows its users to transfer large amounts of data, or at least much more than NFC.
It is important that in order to correctly compare Bluetooth with NFC, we understand that, although both are derived from radio frequency, each one has its specific application, and when it comes to data transfer, it must be clear what type of data they are.
Let’s see then what are the characteristics in which these two technologies differ:
Functioning
Although they are both wireless implementations, they both operate on different frequencies. While Bluetooth works with 2.4 GHz, which is very common, NFC works with 13.56 GHz.
Speed
Despite the fact that the frequency of the NFC is higher than that of Bluetooth, it is not faster, since it only reaches 424 Kilobits per second. Which is fine as we said for informational data transfers like payment codes, contacts, and addresses.
On the other hand, Bluetooth can reach up to 20 Megabytes per second in its best conditions, which is enough to transfer images, videos, and documents.
Scope
At this point, we should already be clear that Bluetooth has much more range since it is known that it even serves to listen to music at a distance with wireless speakers or headphones. While with NFC the devices must be practically on top of each other. But, if we analyze it well, it can be a real advantage when it comes to making payments for the security issue.
Energy consumption
As already said, the NFC consumes much less, since it generates practically no battery drain when used. While the expense generated by Bluetooth can easily download a mobile if it is used for a long time.
To come to a healthy conclusion, both technologies are very good in their field, but when it comes to data transfer, Bluetooth wins for obvious reasons.
Steps to send information through Android Beam fast and easy
Let’s get to know quickly the complete process to send files with this efficient wireless network:
Review NFC settings
- To verify that the phone has the ability to make this type of transfer, we must access the “Settings” section.
- Next, we must access the “Advanced settings” of the “Wireless and networks”. In this case, it is done by clicking on the “More…” button, but this may vary slightly according to your device.
- In the next window, we must check that the NFC configuration is active and otherwise activate it.
Finally, here you have to activate this function in case it is deactivated.
Zoom devices
Once the connection is activated, it will only be necessary to locate the file or the information to be transferred and move the mobile device closer to another. These must be placed in parallel, but with the backs facing.
Transfer the information
When the two back mobiles meet, the screen of the mobile that has the information will become small and floating, so the user must make a small touch with his finger so that the information jumps from his mobile to the other.
What do I do if I don’t use Android Beam? How to deactivate the application
If we are not using Android Beam then it is advisable to keep it turned off, since although this does not generate energy costs, it is always better to take care of the mobile battery.
To turn it off it is necessary to travel the route that we already showed in the previous point, first we access the “Settings” of the device, and then we enter the “Advanced settings” of the connections. From there we can make sure to disable both the NFC technology and the Beam.
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments, we will answer you as soon as possible, and I’m sure it will be of great help to more readers of our blog.
