The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has revealed that it has officially codified Bluetooth 5, offering longer range and faster speed for developers and consumers.
The list of updates to the current version of Bluetooth is extensive, with standout features including quadrupled range now suitable for connections across the home, and doubled speed now recorded at 2MBps, whilst still maintaining low-power energy consumption and low latency.
The news could be huge for the growth of the IoT industry, as well as the overall growth of “connectionless” services (such as location-relevant and navigational content). Bluetooth 5 offers an increase (the company put at 800%) in broadcast messaging capacity, allowing products to transmit more intelligent data and to drive the deployment of beacons.
Coexistence with other wireless technologies (including WiFi and LTE) has also been on the Bluetooth SIG’s agenda for increased interoperability in IoT environments.
“Bluetooth is revolutionising how people experience the IoT. Bluetooth 5 continues to drive this revolution by delivering reliable IoT connections and mobilising the adoption of beacons, which in turn will decrease connection barriers and enable a seamless IoT experience,” commented Mark Powell, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG.
Products featuring Bluetooth 5 are likely to be released within two and six months.