Bluetooth is about to get better
Next year, Bluetooth will be better than ever.
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), the body in charge of setting standards for the wireless technology, said this week that in 2016, advancements will result in better speed, longer range and more sophisticated networks.
While Bluetooth is a staple of smartphones, speakers and headsets, the group zeroed its focus on the explosion of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies that connect devices from smart home thermostats to fitness trackers.
"There is significant demand from our members and the industry at large to enhance Bluetooth with the new capabilities we're announcing today," said Toby Nixon, chairman of the Bluetooth SIG board of directors, in a statement. "Current projections put the market potential for IoT between $2 and $11.1 trillion by 2025. The technical updates planned for Bluetooth technology in 2016 will help make these expectations a reality and accelerate growth in IoT."
SIG said that the range of Bluetooth Smart, an energy-saving version, will increase by a factor of four, making connections stronger between networked devices both inside and outside the home. So-called mesh networking will enable Bluetooth devices to connect to one another, creating a sort of secondary network that can cover an entire building or home.
The plan is also to double transmission speed, which will allow data to move more quickly, improving response time and reducing lag. The change is critical for connected medical devices.