Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo announce Android Beam replacement

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Android Beam, launched in 2011, will be removed in the upcoming Android Q update. The latest Android software will integrate a new Fast Share system, but that is reported to be a Google Play Services feature. This is likely to be a key factor in the three Chinese manufacturers' decision to come up with an alternative. Announced in a post on WeChat, Xiaomi's official MIUI account said that other smartphone manufacturers are also welcome to apply.

The new peer-to-peer wireless transfer protocol will use Bluetooth as a pairing medium, like AirDrop, and can transfer files at up to 20MB/s. The speed suggests that some Wi-Fi is also being used on the backend. Android Beam used NFC to connect devices, but you can also use Bluetooth to make transfers in Google's Files app.

Combined, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo account for around half of the Chinese smartphone market. The big name missing from this collaboration is, of course, Huawei. The announcement that other smartphone companies are welcome to join is surely a direct call to the P30 Pro manufacturer. Huawei could be tempted, too. After all, given its current struggle with the White House, non-Google alternatives such as this should be music to Huawei's ears.

How to do you transfer files with your peers? Let us know.

Via: The Verge Source: Xiaomi (WeChat)