Apple To Leverage iBeacon For Improved Apple Store Experience

Apple will soon install its Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) iBeacon systems in its retail locations to hep with customer sales and in-store services, Mac Rumors reported on November 16.

The iBeacons will reportedly be used in conjunction with an updated Apple Store app to provide location-based product information to customers. Notifications would then be sent to customers’ mobile devices when they walk near items. At the point of sale, iBeacons would be used to inform customers about workshops, Genius bar appointments and in-store pickups.

Apple is also reportedly looking to integrate an indoor mapping feature in a forthcoming version of iOS to further improve its in-store sales environment, a move that could further be helped by its planned purchase of 3-D sensor manufacturer PrimeSense. The first iBeacon installations may take place in the next few days, the report suggested.

The news comes days after Apple Stores suffered point-of-sale (POS) system outages and had to rely on older credit card readers.

The systems, which are affixed to iPod touch and iPad devices, reportedly began to fail Thursday morning. Users on Twitter posted messages and pictures of the problems, including from one store where clerks relied on more archaic credit card machines to process payments.

To learn more about the Apple Store outage, read the full story here.