Chinese smartphone makers create cross-brand file transfer system

Smartphone makers Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi have partnered to create a cross-brand wireless file transfer system that runs on Bluetooth and P2P WiFi. — Vivo

Smartphone makers Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi are partnering on a wireless file transfer system that works across brands.

Vivo stated that the system will support a wide range of files, including photos, videos, music and documents, without the need for third-party applications or network data.

It added that the move is also in anticipation of 5G adoption, where average file sizes would be larger due to varied and richer content.

“Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi all share a strong user base, and such partnership will benefit even more consumers globally. For Vivo, this partnership reinforces our commitment to bringing a fast, secure, first-in-class mobile experience by making it even easier for our users to share files with their friends wirelessly,” Vivo senior vice-president Spark Ni said in a press release.

The system uses Bluetooth for fast pairing and WiFi Peer-to-Peer (P2P) technology for the data transfer, to deliver a claimed average transfer speed of 20MB per second.

Ni explained that the WiFi P2P technology would not interrupt the device’s WiFi connection, so that users remain connected and can continue using their devices during the file transfer.

To use it, users would need to turn on the device’s WiFi and Bluetooth functions, or use the dedicated function under the phone’s menu, then select the files to share.

If the other user also has the function enabled, they will receive a notification. Once confirmed, the selected files would then be transferred.

Ni said the system is a result of the companies’ ‘Peer-to-Peer Transmission Alliance’, which is open to more brands.

The transfer feature will be gradually rolled out on new Vivo products in different markets starting February 2020.