The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is the standard body that regulates the Bluetooth technology. SIG announced that the new version of Bluetooth, called Bluetooth 5, will be released by the start of 2017. Bluetooth 5 will be the most advanced update since 2009.
The latest version of Bluetooth will pack in a lot of advanced features that will enhance the range of the Bluetooth connection up to four times and increase the connection speed two folds. All these enhancements will come without any increase in power consumption.
The enhanced range will improve the IoT experience as the Bluetooth connectivity becomes more reliable and robust. The increased speed will also result in robust connectivity and improved response times. The massive update in the broadcasting capacity will improve the wireless services such as location based navigation.
The results of these enhancements in the Bluetooth technology will be readily evident as the users will get to enjoy a seamless connectivity experience whether they are streaming music via their Bluetooth speaker or checking the latest notifications on their fitness trackers.
The improved bandwidth and broadcasting capacity will become significant as the world moves to adopt IoT as it will enable data transmission at a faster rate. Mark Powell, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG said:
“Bluetooth 5 will transform the way people experience the IoT by making it something that happens simply and seamlessly around them. Increasing operation range will enable connections to IoT devices that extend far beyond the walls of a typical home, while increasing speed supports faster data transfers and software updates for devices. And now with the ability to broadcast a much richer set of information, Bluetooth 5 will make beacons, location awareness, and other connectionless services an even more relevant part of an effortless and seamless IoT experience.”
Bluetooth SIG wants to bring improved features to Bluetooth, like data capacity and speed, so as to give better tools to the developers to come up with the latest innovations in technology.