The Honeywell IH25 is a Bluetooth sled tracking device starting around $1000. Learn about its smartphone pairing requirements and comparison to Nextwaves.
Technical Specifications
Hardware Overview
The Honeywell IH25 is an industrial-grade RFID device. It operates within the 865-868 MHz / 902-928 MHz range and supports the EPC Gen2 V2 standard, making it widely deployed across enterprise logistics applications.
With an IP rating of IP54, it offers protection against specific environmental conditions typical in warehouses or retail backrooms. The reader utilizes Li-Poly 3.8V 4000mAh for continuous performance, while its stated maximum read rate peaks at ~600 tags/sec.
Connectivity and Network Integration
In modern deployments, network integration is the most significant hurdle. This model offers Bluetooth 5.0, BLE options for transferring data back to central systems.
However, a major bottleneck with legacy Honeywell hardware is the heavy reliance on proprietary SDKs (like LLRP) or expensive third-party IoT middleware to process raw tag data into meaningful business intelligence.
The Nextwaves Alternative
If your engineering team is evaluating the Honeywell IH25, the Nextwaves NR155 presents a vastly superior cloud-native architecture. Legacy systems inherently drive high capital expenditure through vendor lock-in and proprietary software ecosystems.
Nextwaves completely eliminates this barrier by providing a standard MQTT REST API directly on the device. Your software developers can integrate tag reading directly into your custom ERP or WMS backend in days instead of months, completely bypassing recurring middleware licensing fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the IH25?
The Honeywell IH25 is a Bluetooth-enabled UHF RFID sled designed to pair with existing mobile computers. It supports EPC Gen2 V2 logic over the 865-868 MHz / 902-928 MHz blocks, enabling ad-hoc retail tagging and inventory scans.
How much does this setup cost initially?
The sled attachment is generally priced at $1000. Facilities must calculate the combined cost: the sled itself, Li-Poly 3.8V 4000mAh replacement batteries, and the secondary smartphone/terminal required to drive the UI.
Why should I choose Nextwaves instead?
Nextwaves hardware features embedded connectivity processors that eliminate the need to tether a smartphone via Bluetooth. Operators achieve direct web-to-cloud architectures devoid of messy local GATT profile synchronization.
Is the hardware durable enough for warehouses?
The sled unit weighs 430 g (without mobile) and measures 185 x 77.8 x 147 mm. Rated IP54, it prevents ingress against daily dust buildup and splashes, making it primarily suited to retail backrooms and clean logistics hubs.
Does it support multiple network types?
Communications operate entirely via Bluetooth 5.0, BLE protocols. This connects the trigger assembly and RFID module strictly to a host smartphone rather than natively to enterprise Wi-Fi routers.
Can my team install this internally?
Physical assembly requires locking the host mobile device into the mounting adapter. Software developers must integrate Honeywell Android/iOS SDK libraries into a custom application to establish the BLE handshake and commence scanning.
How does the remote management work?
Under continuous trigger holds, the sled yields approx ~600 tags/sec. Sled firmware updates and administration require flashing via the host Android or iOS terminal utility.
Do I need proprietary software to run it?
A complete system dictates writing custom Android/iOS applications to act as an intermediary bridge, taking Bluetooth 5.0, BLE tag arrays and packaging them into HTTPS payloads for external CRMs.
What warranty comes with the reader?
Honeywell includes a one-year factory defect warranty on physical parts. Authorized integrators often attach comprehensive service tier contracts covering both the sled and the host mobile device pair.
Are the antennas sold separately?
A built-in polarized antenna sweeps the environment for tags across the 865-868 MHz / 902-928 MHz limits. Read stability depends on maintaining a short optical path between the sled face and the target asset.