The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has announced the release of updated version of specification – Bluetooth 4.1 – an update to the Bluetooth Core Specification after over 3 years.
The SIG announced that the updated specification lays the groundwork for Internet of Things by allowing for IP-based connections. Further, the new and improved specifications have been engineered to enable it to work seamlessly and co-existence with LTE, support for efficient data exchange rates, improved connections that require less frequent manual reconnections and aid developer innovation by allowing devices to support multiple roles simultaneously.
Device owners with Bluetooth 4.1 will experience easier connections and reconnections. For example if the user leaves a room wherein two of his devices were connected, the devices will reconnect without any manual intervention when the user renters the room. Users who are using Bluetooth 4.1 enabled data gathering sensors will find that their data is transferred more efficiently when they return home.
“Bluetooth Smart technology put us on a rocket ship of growth, with Bluetooth annual product shipment projections skyrocketing to more than 4.5 billion in the next five years,” said Suke Jawanda, Bluetooth SIG CMO in a press release.
Bluetooth 4.1 comes with support for “dual-mode topology” and “link-layer topology” allowing developers to create products that can take on multiple roles – for example, a device can act has a smart hub as well as smart peripheral. A smartwatch for example can be used as a data gathered from user’s heart monitor while the same device will act as a smart peripheral when paired with a smartphone.
“We updated the Bluetooth specification to address this projected growth, making changes to give developers more control in assigning a role to their product, limiting interference with other wireless technologies, and allowing Bluetooth Smart products to exchange data faster and maintain connections with less manual intervention”, Jawanda added.
