"I'm pleased to tell you that on 16 June, we will formally announce that the next version of Bluetooth will be marketed as Bluetooth 5. Veterans of the SIG will note that with this name we have dropped reference to both the version and point number in our marketing messaging. Our new naming approach is focused on simplifying our marketing, communicating user benefits more effectively and making it easier to signal significant technology updates to the market," said Powell in an email .
End users are mostly unaware of the importance of a new Bluetooth version, and see it simply as another feature in mobile phones which enables file transfer and connection to accessories wirelessly. However, Bluetooth 5 promises to be much more than that. Here are five things you need to know about it.
1) Double range: Bluetooth 5 claims to have double the range of existing version. While the maximum range depends more on the device, Bluetooth 4.0 devices should ideally offer a minimum of 200 feet. Powell has announced that the upcoming Bluetooth 5 will offer a range that's double of this, thus bringing the new version closer to the range offered by Wi-Fi Direct.
2) 4X speed: Earlier Bluetooth versions are no match for the speeds offered by Wi-Fi Direct. For those unaware, Wi-Fi Direct promises speeds of up to 250Mbps, as opposed to Bluetooth 4.0's 25Mbps. Bluetooth 5 promises to have more than four times the speed of the current 4.2 version.
3) Detailed advertising packet: No, it doesn't mean more ads. Advertising has a whole new meaning in the world of Bluetooth. It helps users identify, detect and connect to other Bluetooth devices. Current packet size is 47 bytes and includes details like name and type of device. Bluetooth 5 will have larger sized packets, enabling more information to be shared among Bluetooth devices.
4) Location information: Bluetooth 5 will offer new functionalities for connectionless services. These will mostly be related to location information and navigation. "By adding significantly more capacity to advertising transmissions, Bluetooth 5 will further propel the adoption and deployment of beacons and location-based services to users around the world," said Powell.
5) New hardware: There is no word on whether Bluetooth 5 will be backward compatible with older Bluetooth devices or not. Bluetooth 4.0 devices can be updated to version 4.1 and some even to version 4.2. However, the new Bluetooth 5.0 version might need new hardware. This means that new Bluetooth 5-enabled devices might appear later this year or early next year.
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