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Google planning ‘Nearby’ feature as possible competitor to Apple’s iBeacon

Screenshots via Android Police

Google is developing a location-aware “Nearby” feature for Android devices that could alert “people, places, and things” to the presence of nearby users, according to a new claim from Android Police.

According to that site’s sources, the feature—seen in the screenshots above—could potentially be used for location-based alerts like reminders and ads, but could also be viewed as a possible competitor to the iBeacon technology implemented in Apple’s latest version of iOS, which is already becoming quite popular among third-party manufacturers.

The setting for Nearby is built into the Android location settings page, where you’ll reportedly be able to control which apps, devices, or people will be alerted when you’re within proximity.

There’s no timeline yet for when the feature will become public, but it seems to be far enough along in development that it wouldn’t be too surprising to see it announced soon.

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