Low Energy (BLE) transfers: 2x speed, 4x range, 8x broadcast message capacity
Smartphone makers like Apple, Samsung, and many others are members of the the Bluetooth SIG, or the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. In addition, headphone makers, speaker makers, and wireless accessory manufacturers are also members of SIG. Bluetooth SIG oversees and develops Bluetooth standards, licensing, and trademarks. SIG has offices in Beijing, Malmo, Seoul, and Tokyo, and is headquartered in Kirkland, Washington, USA. Bluetooth SIG’s official website is https://www.bluetooth.com/.
Wirelessly Connecting Devices
With the proliferation of mobile devices, the need arose for a way for wireless devices to exchange information. Today, Bluetooth is used in nearly every wireless device including computers, digital cameras, laptops, mobile phones, and personal digital assistants (PDA).
New Communication Capabilities
The new version of Bluetooth is Bluetooth 5, which debuted at CES 2016, and is beginning to show up in smartphones, including the Galaxy S8. Bluetooth 5 provides the latest core specifications. These new specifications were revealed as early as June 2016. Support for Bluetooth 5 is considered a standard feature of the ideal smartphone as Bluetooth 5 extends smartphone wireless data range from 33 feet to about 100 feet. This will allow users in offices and homes to have Bluetooth coverage directly or through the use of repeaters. Bluetooth 5.0 also increases bandwidth to 2 Mbps, doubles the amount of data devices can transfer, and reduces the time for reliably transmitting and receiving data.
The following video is an introduction to the new Bluetooth.
