Real-life use cases

If you think about it, most usages of iBeacons won't always involve the app running in the foreground. Most apps are most likely to be awakened when entering the boundaries of a beacon region and then brought into the foreground by the user if they want to use the app.

An example use case for retail loyalty

Imagine that you're building an app for retail loyalty. In this scenario, you are almost certainly going to want to trigger some functionality when the user comes into the range of your store. You might want to send the customer a tasty offer for your new bagel range, or simply offer users loyalty cards just in case they want to pop in for coffee.

An example use case for airline assistance

Now, ponder building an app for an airline. Your app allows users to book their flight and download their boarding pass. The app also allows the user to get departure lounge discounts and directs them around the airport.

Once you book your flight using the app, it becomes completely useless...