Bluetooth doesn't work very well or reliably between two of the same phone (such as iPhone to iPhone). And lots of people have Bluetooth turned off to save battery (you can't turn it on programmatically, users have to leave your app and goto settings). And it definitely won't work well between any two different phones (such as iPhone to Android).
The official recommended bumping techniques is hold phones, and bump hands. Like a fist bump. That eliminates the risk of damaging your phone and actually works better.
The long-term goal is to bump more than contacts and pictures. For instance you can bump money using the new PayPal app on iPhone.
> And it definitely won't work well between any two different phones (such as iPhone to Android).
Interesting -- could you elaborate more on this? I've never had a problem getting two Bluetooth devices to communicate. If my old laptop, older cell phone, and modern headset can all interoperate easily, I don't see why two months-old phones from the world's leading technology companies won't work together.
I never had trouble connecting my Nokia to any other phone, including Samsungs, Sony Ericssons, etc. Bluetooth has been nothing but easy to use and reliable. Couple of UI things on some phones could be improved, but I do not see a reason for switching technologies. IR to bluetooth has been a vast improvement, this bump thing seems ridiculous.
Location services has three sources: cell, scanned wifi, and GPS. Not having GPS does not mean not having location. In many cases we do not get a GPS lock because it can take a loooong time.
The official recommended bumping techniques is hold phones, and bump hands. Like a fist bump. That eliminates the risk of damaging your phone and actually works better.
The long-term goal is to bump more than contacts and pictures. For instance you can bump money using the new PayPal app on iPhone.