Which Mesh is the Real One?

Sony confused us by launching a Bluetooth Mesh product at CES. They must had been to Las Vegas too many times before and having met Elvis' impersonators on the streets, come with the idea of launching an own look-alike.

The word mesh is becoming hot now in wireless and Sony claims a trade mark to it. Are we going to see a trademarked Music product too? But product - wise it is as far from the mesh as could be. True it uses Bluetooth LE. But this is where the similarities end. The little Sony Mesh bricks connect in a hub-and-spoke topology to a central device (a tablet) and the tablet app has to be up and running for them to be able to talk to each other. Close the app and puff.... The magic is gone. Nothing no longer works.

The central app that shuffles messages between the "Mesh" nodes defies the fundamental idea of a mesh network: peer to peer, redundant connectivity. It also makes the product barely usable (even for children). Yes it is a great idea to have an iPad App that programs the association rules between the mesh nodes in a simple if-this-than-that fashion. But then the app should no longer be needed for them to communicate as configured. If the App has to be there, it simply kills the product. Who would want to set up even a simplest automation system that requires an App to be up and running 24x7?

This is this fine line that separates the Sony Mesh toy from true Bluetooth Mesh devices. Both use the same radio. Both use an app to set up the system. But in the real Mesh product the app may fold down and walk away and the network continues to function on its own.

It seems like a fine line, but in reality it is a huge chasm many have tried to cross and only few succeeded. It is a pity Sony wastes its brand to be a fake impersonator, creating market confusion. After all there is only one Elvis.