Update (1/2/2020 @ 11:25 AM ET): Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo have finally announced that their cross-device file transfer solution will launch in February.

The AirDrop feature on Apple devices is a fast and convenient way of sharing files without any requirement to rely on third-party applications. It has been around since 2011 is one of the reasons why many prefer staying in the Apple ecosystem. Android, too, had had NFC-based Android Beam for several years but it will be deprecated in Android Q to make way for a new and much faster method, called Fast Share, which is inspired by AirDrop. Fast Share was first spotted in Android Q beta and can be expected to become a standard feature with the stable release of Android Q. In the meantime, three Chinese electronics giants including Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo have announced they are jointly working on their own cross-UI file transfer system.

The three smartphone manufacturers – Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo – have formed an alliance for the development of a new P2P file transfer protocol. The method is likely to be using Bluetooth LE to establish connections and should have transfer speeds in the order of 20 megabytes (MB) per second. Users will be able to exchange multiple file formats and even folders with this solution. Not only will the feature work between two devices from the same brand, but it will also work between devices of any of the three brands in any combination.

OnePlus already has FileDash, a high-speed file transfer system which is limited to just OnePlus devices. Since Vivo and OPPO share the BBK Electronics bloodline with OnePlus, they are likely to bring something interesting to the table.

As per the announcement, the resulting product will have an open development.

OPPO's engagement with Xiaomi and Vivo benefits Realme

Realme, the company which was branched out of OPPO, will also be reaping the benefits of this alliance. On Twitter, Realme's marketing head Francis Wang confirmed that Realme is also a part of this alliance. While the tweet does not clarify whether Realme will be a direct participant in this supergroup or only derive benefits from OPPO's involvement in this venture.

In the future, we may see other phone companies joining the alliance along with Xiaomi, Vivo, and OPPO.

Source: Weibo

Update: Launching next month

Originally announced in August 2019, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo have finally announced that their cross-device file transfer solution will launch in February. It will start rolling out first on new Vivo devices. OPPO and Xiaomi have not shared when they will start including the feature. We're also not sure if the feature will be limited to specific regions or will be available on all devices. Users who have the feature will only need to enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth or enable it in the settings. If the recipient has the feature as well, the sender will see an icon to signify it.

Source: Press Release| Via: 9to5Google