Since 10.10 and iOS 8, AirDrop is available between Mac OS and iOS if you have a fairly recent Mac (>= 2012 for MacBook Pro) and I don't understand what changed between 2011 and 2012. I know that for older Macs it's a bi-band issue (Why doesn't AirDrop work on older network adapters?) but as AirDrop works between Macs, what's changed in AirDrop with iDevices?
Airdrop Compatibility – Why iPhone Can’t Connect with Older MacBook Pro Models
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Best Answer
Your MacBook Pro does not contain the necessary hardware to support AirDrop.
In OS X, the feature didn't use Bluetooth, instead using Bonjour and personal area networking over WiFi to discover and transfer files between Macs.
When iOS gained the feature in version 7, it was a completely different implementation, using Bluetooth LE and WiFi Direct. That's why it was not previously compatible with the OS X implementation.
Apple has now retrofitted the iOS implementation onto OS X in Yosemite. This in turn requires a chip for Bluetooth v4 and LE support. This chip was not included in MacBook Pros until mid-2012.
You may be able to replace the Bluetooth chip in a 2011 MacBook Pro. See this thread on MacRumors. It references Handoff/Continuity but the underlying chip replacement is what is needed to enable AirDrop as well.