IR - an abbreviation of the phrase infraredport. The name clearly indicates the technology by which this device is implemented. The first prototypes of IR ports appeared in the 1990s. The port is implemented as a receiver and transmitter of light waves in the infrared range, and this is light from a long wave from 850 to 880 nanometers. This range is outside of the visible for a person radiation spectrum, therefore, does not interfere and is convenient for use. Infrared radiation from the infrared port is absolutely harmless, so you can not think about the consequences of its use.
How used before infrared
В эпоху кнопочных телефонов без операционной When the Internet was used by a very small percentage of the population, infrared and Bluetooth technology became the main way to spread information between devices. It worked like this: you had to select a file on your device, and then in the options select a transmission via infrared. Then two phones laid out next to each other at a distance of a centimeter or less. Now it was only necessary to wait until the process of transmitting information through the port is completed. The transmission speed and the amount of information transmitted were very low.
Popularity decline
Soon, Bluetooth and wireless Internet have becomedevelop much faster and displaced infrared. But they did not forget about it, but on the contrary - they found a new, more logical application. More precisely, well forgotten old. The fact is that a long time ago the infrared range is used in the control panels of household appliances. Considering the tendency of equipping smartphones with more and more functions, it is not surprising that the infrared port also got into some models of smartphones. One of the most popular representatives of such devices became Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 - the Chinese smartphone of the average price range.
Infrared for smartphone on the example of Xiaomi Redmi Note 2
Chinese company Xiaomi rarely triesindependently try new ideas in digital technology, and simply follow the general trends, making sales due to the low price of devices. But still, there are exceptions. For example, several models of smartphones of this company can boast the presence of an infrared port for direct control of equipment. It should be clarified that we are talking about household appliances, such as TV, air conditioning, or maybe even a "smart" multicooker.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 has an installed "withfactory "Mi Remote application, which is a hub to control the operation of devices through the infrared port. Some people do not understand the meaning of this technology, preferring to have 10 control panels for each device, instead of just one, and even inside the smartphone. Well, always There are those who would prefer a horse-drawn carriage to a car, because this is the choice of every person, but in this article we will be guided by the opinion that the infrared port in the phone is good and convenient.
We set up the infrared port in the smartphone
The program for the infrared port Mi Remote is configured without much difficulty. Let's look at this process step by step:
- Make sure you have an Internet connection on your device.
- Turn on the device for which you want to set up control via infrared.
- In Mi Remote, click the plus sign in the upper right corner of the screen.
After that, a special window will open in which you will need to select the type of the connected device and the brand of the manufacturer, then select the device name.
Дальнейшим этапом станет подбор кодов пульта к the device you are trying to connect to. Do not worry, you are not required to pick up the code manually, you just need to point the smartphone in the direction of the desired device, and then perform a button press in Mi Remote. After receiving the response signal - stop clamping the button on the smartphone and confirm your intentions in the Mi Remote menu panel. Sometimes there may be cases that such an operation will have to be repeated several times. On average, three iterations are needed for a successful connection. That's it, now you can easily and simply manage all devices in a smart home.
What other smartphones with infrared are
Some companies, like Apple, are betting onperfect optimization of embedded software and hardware. Some other companies that have slightly less resources cannot afford to spend years developing the "perfect software" and are trying to get away at the expense of non-standard solutions in the hardware of the smartphone.
Bulk or half bulk screenspicture, bending screen, reception of television signals - all this is often "chips" for the sake of "chips". Therefore, many people perceived infrared smartphones as much as a simple marketing move. But if you still use the infrared port in your phone and decided that you need it, then you should think about buying a device with the presence of such a function. Fortunately, the abundance of manufacturers and an extensive model range allow us to do this. Therefore, we give a list of the main contenders for the purchase of a smartphone with an IR port:
ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe.
HTC One ME.
Huawei P9 Plus.
Ulefone Power.
Lenovo Vibe X3.
Xiaomi Mi5.
LG G5.
Samsung Galaxy S6.
LeEco Le Max 2.
Specifications of each of them youYou can easily find it, and you can also see reviews and comparisons on YouTube. But you can be sure that each of these flagships supports infrared technology.
IR port applications
The advantage of an open operating system isthat third-party manufacturers can absolutely calmly develop and offer their applications for working with the hardware of the device. Infrared port is no exception, so now you can find many programs in the Google Play Market, the essence of which is to use a universal remote control on a smartphone via infrared.
You absolutely certainly may need one of these third-party applications, if you want, for example, to connect to some rare TV model, or a smart lighting system.
ASmart Remote IR - the best at the momentThird-party application for infrared. It is universal, so you can easily pick up codes and connect to your air conditioner, control remotely the work of a webcam, a projector, and so on.
Apart from this application, pretty good yourselfThe AnyMote Universal Remote program is working. In it, you can combine the control buttons of various devices on one screen, creating your universal remote control. Agree, it greatly simplifies life. With such an application, the loss of a standard remote, or its failure, will cease to be an urgent problem. Special IFTTT service in this application will help you create multi-level action scenarios. This means that pressing one button will be able to solve several of your everyday tasks at once. The application supports almost 900 thousand devices for connection.
What if the smartphone is already purchased, but I want IR
Needless to say, such a problem could hardlygo unnoticed. Therefore, the Chinese with might and main began to produce external accessories for mobile devices that are connected via USB, or even through the headphone jack! Owners of iOS devices can also rejoice in this scenario, as external IR ports have also been developed for their operating system.
Summing up
Nowadays, equipping the smartphone with infraredthe port is unlikely to be something surprising, and its usefulness is doubtful if you use little appliances. One thing is for sure - determine for yourself whether this function should be decisive for you at the time of purchase, or not, and then look at the presence of the infrared port in the phone. After all, for the opportunity to overpay is definitely not worth it, but, knowing how to use the infrared port, you can greatly simplify your life.
