When we wirelessly connect a laptop to a home router or a smartphone to a streaming speaker, we do so over radio waves. We were first introduced to wireless data transmission using light back in 2014, and now France's Oledcomm is looking to bring the technology to home users with the first Android tablet sporting integrated Li-Fi.
Light fidelity technology – or Li-Fi – transmits data at high speeds by modulating light signals, "a process invisible to the naked eye." And spin-off from the University of Paris-Saclay, Oledcomm says it launched the first "Li-Fi luminaire" aimed at the general public at CES 2018, in the shape of the MyLiFi desk lamp.
The company returned to Las Vegas the following year with a prototype of its LiFiMAX system, which subsequently went on to be installed and tested in more than 500 projects worldwide. Last year, the first classroom was equipped with the tech and an integrated circuit that enabled native integration of Li-Fi in smartphones, tablets and PCs was launched at MWC 2021 in Barcelona, Spain.
Now Oledcomm is back at CES to show off the LiFiMAX Tab.
"Every year since 2018, Oledcomm accentuates a little more its leadership in the field of LiFi," said the company's Benjamin Azoulay. "After having announced the miniaturization of its technology and reached 3Gbps in vehicle-to-infrastructure data transfer, Oledcomm announces the first Android tablet with integrated Li-Fi.
"The tablet allows all family members to connect to the internet via invisible light, providing a robust, stable, radio frequency-free connection with a signal that cannot be intercepted outside the room. LiFiMAX Tab is ideal for home office use, for parents and children at home or at school.”
The tablet comes wrapped in a chunky blue silicone case that includes the photonic antenna, allowing for up to 150 Mbps downstream and 150 Mbps up with AES 128-bit security. Naturally, users of the device will need to be within range of a light-emitting access point or antenna that's connected to a home network, which the company also produces (and you may need more than one if you want to roam around indoors).
The LiFiMAX's blue case also comes with a built-in kickstand, and hosts one USB-C ports, a 3.5-mm audio jack and a TransFlash card reader slot. The tablet has a 10.1-inch 1,920 x 1,200 resolution touchscreen, runs Android 10 and is powered by a Mediatek MTK6762 octa-core processor supported by 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage.
There's an 8,000-mAh battery for up to seven hours of use, plus an additional 6,000-mAh battery to power the integrated Li-Fi module. And completing the given specs are a 2-MP webcam to the front and a 5-MP snapper to the back, and two 1-W integrated speakers.
The LiFiMAX Tab is due to go on sale from February for €400 (about US$450), though there's no word on how much it will cost you to have the necessary LiFiMAX access points or antennas installed. The video below has more.
Source: Oledcomm