Bluetooth; A short-range wireless data network initially offered as an alternative to messy additional wires in a lot of ways has moved us into a truly hands-free world in which often allows us to work faster and more conveniently. No cables to plug in, no worrying about the extension of wires. But for all of Bluetooth’s ease of use benefits (more notably in the consumer market) the technology does have major disadvantages in the data collection world. Here are five drawbacks of deploying a Bluetooth reliant RFID / Barcode solution and our solutions. 

1) BATTERY DRAINING: Bluetooth is your battery life’s nemesis! Especially when you are in the process of performing power intensive tasks. This can almost certainly be the case, when paring mobile devices to an RFID / Barcode reader; common tasks with such devices like stock take, geiger-counter (find-a-tag) and simple read & write functions can be laborious for your mobile devices power and with the Bluetooth feature whirling away on top of executing these duties, battery-life will diminish even more rapidly.

2) PARING DIFFICULTIES: Paring your chosen mobile device to a Bluetooth AIDC (RFID BARCODE) reader can be a tedious and sometimes time wasting experience. Touch Technologies has engaged with people who have to work with AIDC readers / scanners on a daily basis as part of their job, and this message has been a frequent complaint. In 2015 Touch illuminated this issue by bringing a product line to market that did not rely on Bluetooth technology, but physical connectivity to pair with mobile devices.

3) LIMITATIONS: Having to pair your chosen mobile device to an RFID / Barcode tool via Bluetooth takes away the opportunity to pair effortlessly with any other external machines – (ie printer, head-set, pos system). Of-course you CAN disconnect your Bluetooth connection and pair to an alternative device but this takes time, slowing down the operation and breaking up your work-flow.

4) WEAK SECURITY: Almost every network technology has some security built into it to prevent hackers from accessing your data without your permission. However, Bluetooth security is weak compared to Wi-Fi and other wireless data standards. A determined attacker can, for example, gain access to your wireless device through a Bluetooth connection, although he or she would have to be nearby for the attempt to work.

5) LAGGY DATA: All wireless technologies have limits on how fast they can transmit data; generally, faster connections mean higher energy consumption. Because Bluetooth is intended to be very energy-efficient, it sends data at a relatively slow pace. The Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy standard, at 26 megabits per second, is much faster than Bluetooth used to offer and suitable for occasional syncing and small backup operations. However, Bluetooth is not a substitute for faster technologies such as Wi-Fi or even for tasks such as pairing with Touch’s Magnetic technology.

Ultimately, Bluetooth still has a place in consumer and business sectors but with new inventive and user-friendly wireless technologies arriving on the scene, there are strong alternatives to be taken advantage of…

Built into all of the mobile RFID / Barcode AsReaders, is a physical mobile connection. This unique design allows the user to pair his or her mobile device instantly to RFID / Barcode reader, without the hassle of pairing via Bluetooth and avoiding the drawbacks that come with it. Watch this short video to see just how effortless our pairing alternative really is:

The sled containing the mobile device (in this instance an iPhone 5) snaps onto the reader’s frame swiftly and securely. Here is a mini video clip demonstrating this: CLICK TO WATCH

This pairing technique is not only far more straightforward and a real time savor but provides a terrifically minimal solution. Thanks again to the physical connection, our ASR collection of RFID / Barcode readers only require one charging cable / dock / USB to charge both the reader and your chosen mobile device simultaneously. This ‘one cable charges all’  feature gives less chance to human error when having to re-charge overnight or in between working shifts as their is one less cable (or sometimes more) to insert, or with our reader… conveniently snap on. See the single magnetic charger being applied to our RFID gun below: CLICK TO WATCH

Learn more about ASR-R250G: VISIT PRODUCT PAGE