Bluetooth 4.0 go-ahead
The specifications for Bluetooth 4.0 have been approved by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) and promise to slash the power consumption of the devices using the new specification.
The most exciting feature of the Bluetooth 4.0 specification is the ability to transmit data over short distances at ultra-low power. According to the SIG Bluetooth 4.0 devices will use as little as 10% of the power used by existing Bluetooth devices.
Mike Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG, says that “some of these new low-energy devices will be able to operate for years on just a tiny, button-sized battery.”
But, even though Bluetooth 4.0 devices will consume less power they will not be underpowered. Devices using the new technology will be able to transmit data at up to 1Mbps in ultra-low power mode and significantly higher speed in full power mode.
Bluetooth is also an improvement on the 3.0 standard which introduced the ability to connect to WiFi networks as well. Over 802.11 WiFi networks Bluetooth 4.0 will kick up to 25Mbps data transfer speeds.
Bluetooth 4.0 is aimed, in part, at catering for the market for gadgets such as heart rate monitors, pedometers and so on which use coin-cell batteries. In low-power mode these type of devices could be used for years on a single battery.
Bluetooth 4.0 also improves its range capabilities, making devices capable of connecting over distances as far as 100 metres.
For now, however, Bluetooth 4.0 devices are being tested by device makers and consumers can expect to see the specification in devices in the latter part of 2011.
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