Bluetooth
5 announced, and you probably must be having few queries. We have answers. Here's all you need to know.
The next Bluetooth Standard, Bluetooth 5, has
now officially been announced, and it brings with it some serious upgrades
including increased range, speed, and broadcast messaging capacity.
So what exactly is Bluetooth 5 and why does it
matter? Let's start with the basics.
What's better about Bluetooth 5?
1: It's faster (2x times)
2: longer range (4x range)
3: can transfer more information.
Why does that matter? Aside from the obvious benefits, the new
standard is going to help support the IoT.
When is it coming out? Late 2016/Early 2017
WHAT IS BLUETOOTH?
Bluetooth is a wireless connection standard
intended to connect disparate devices and transfer data over short distances.
It is fittingly named after 10th-century king Harald Bluetooth, who united
Denmark's tribes into a single kingdom.
Bluetooth was invented by Ericsson in 1994, but
it wasn't until 1998 that the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG)
was established by Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Toshiba and Nokia, and 1999 when it
was initially standardized.
The last major version of the standard,
Bluetooth 4.0, was officially rolled out in 2011, while the last iterative
update was Bluetooth 4.2 on December 2, 2014. And now Bluetooth 5 is announced.
WHERE DID THE 'V' AND THE '.' GO?
You've probably noticed that Bluetooth SIG has
dropped the .0 from the version number for Bluetooth 5, as well as the 'v'
(it's technically Bluetooth v4.2, for example).
This is a pretty straight-forward marketing
decision on Bluetooth SIG's part, aimed at: "Simplifying our marketing,
communicating user benefits more effectively and making it easier to signal
significant technology updates to the market."
So what does Bluetooth 5 have to offer?
Let’s
elaborate the content
BLUETOOTH 5 IS FASTER
Bluetooth 5 offers twice the data transfer speed
of the previous version, Bluetooth 4.2 while increasing the capacity of data
broadcasts by 800%.Bluetooth 5 you can send and receive much more data much
more quickly.
BLUETOOTH 5 HAS LONGER RANGE
The new standard is effective over four times
the range of Bluetooth 4.2, which will come in particularly useful for things
like portable speakers and wireless headphones
Mark Powell, executive director of the Bluetooth
SIG explains: "Increasing oper
E.g.: suppose in Bluetooth 4.2 we were getting
range of about 10m then in Bluetooth it is going to be 40m now.so we are worry
free about the connectivity issues from now .
BLUETOOTH 5 IS READY FOR THE IOT
Bluetooth 4.2 added some features to make it
work better with the so-called Internet of Things, and Bluetooth 5 places such
functionality front and center. Of course, its extra range and capacity will
help more smart household devices talk to each other, but the increase to
broadcast capacity means the new standard will be able to communicate much more
easily with IoT devices.
The Bluetooth SIG says the upgrades to range,
speed, and capacity will "redefine the way Bluetooth devices transmit
information, moving away from the app-paired-to-device model to a
connectionless IoT where there is less need to download an app or connect the
app to a device."
BLUETOOTH 5 BOOSTS LOCATION SERVICES
Bluetooth 5 isn't just about being faster and
longer-range than before – it'll also help facilitate additional location-based
functionality. In particular, it should boost the uptake of Beacon technology,
which will result in significantly improved indoors navigation in shopping centers.
This will be possible because Bluetooth 5 will
add "significantly more capacity to advertising transmission,"
according to Bluetooth SIG. This means that it will be able to convey much more
information to other compatible devices without forming an actual connection.
Previous Bluetooth standards already do this in
order to notify you about the name and nature of other open Bluetooth networks,
but it seems Bluetooth 5 will be able to do much more with it.
As the Bluetooth SIG puts it: "With the
major boost in broadcast messaging capacity, the data being transferred will be
richer, more intelligent."
Bluetooth 5 will add location and navigation
functionality, so that Beacons can transmit custom information without
connection and application barriers.
In other words, you won't need to install an app
or go through connection set-ups in order to receive specific location-based
information from Bluetooth Beacons.
YOUR OLD DEVICES PROBABLY WON'T BENEFIT
While your existing phones, speakers and
equipment may work with Bluetooth 5 devices, they almost certainly won't
benefit from its extra capabilities. That means you'll need to buy all-new
Bluetooth 5-ready gear to take advantage of its entire expanded feature set.
BLUETOOTH 5 RELEASE DATE
The Bluetooth SIG has confirmed that Bluetooth 5
will arrive late 2016/early 2017. Considering that means it will open up the
technology to manufacturers at that time, we're expecting to see the first
Bluetooth 5-enabled consumer products in late 2017, once manufacturers have had
a chance to build it into their devices.
