The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) announced this week it has officially adopted low-energy Bluetooth 5 as the latest version of the Bluetooth core specification.
Key updates include four times range, two times speed, and eight times broadcast message capacity, as well as improved interoperability and coexistence with other wireless technologies. The last version was adopted in 2009.
Products that include the new specification will hit the shelves within the next two to six months.
Bluetooth 5 will help advance connected devices in the Internet of things (IOT) environment by allowing a range of gadgets to interact smoothly.
Bluetooth SIG says Bluetooth 5 continues to drive the revolution of how people experience IOT, by delivering reliable connections and mobilising the adoption of beacons. The group says this in turn will decrease connection barriers and enable a seamless IOT experience.
"This means whole-home and building coverage, as well as new use cases for outdoor, industrial and commercial applications, will be a reality. With the launch of Bluetooth 5, we continue to evolve to meet the needs of IOT developers and consumers, while staying true to what Bluetooth is at its core: the global wireless standard for simple, secure, connectivity," says Mark Powell, Bluetooth SIG executive director.
Bluetooth 5 also includes updates that help reduce potential interference with other wireless technologies, meaning connected devices can coexist in complex IOT environments.
The adoption of Bluetooth 5 comes at a time of industry growth. ABI Research expects 48 billion Internet-enabled devices to be installed by 2021, of which nearly one-third will include Bluetooth.
"The global wireless connectivity market is growing rapidly, with an anticipated 10 billion annual IC shipments by 2021," says Andrew Zignani, research analyst at ABI Research.
"The introduction of Bluetooth 5 will create new opportunities in various verticals of the IOT market by reducing complexity and cost, and giving manufacturers greater flexibility in targeting multiple applications and use cases."
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