The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has just announced the fifth version of its wireless protocol. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology is likely to gain most of the benefits from the new upgrade.
Bluetooth 5 is touted to be twice faster for low-power applications than the preceding version. The speed of the latest Bluetooth standard could be as fast as 2Mbps. Additionally, the new technology is claimed to cover four times range that could be an entire house or at least a floor of the building.
Mark Powell, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG, believes that Bluetooth 5 opens new possibilities for IoT devices. “With the launch of Bluetooth 5, we continue to evolve to meet the needs of IoT developers and consumers while staying true to what Bluetooth is at its core: the global wireless standard for simple, secure and connectivity,” he said.
The concepts of smart homes and connected home automation products are still in nascent stage. But home automation with Bluetooth 5 is predicted to become quite easier. It would also enhance smartphones of the present age. However, it will take 2-3 years for all mobile devices to feature Bluetooth 5.
IoT to reach new heights
BLE devices has already outnumbered the Bluetooth enabled products. The fifth-generation technology is expected to boost this growth further and take the adoption of BLE devices to a new peak. The new speed and range for BLE will help enterprises use BLE-powered beacons for location. There will continue a high rise in the adoption of BLE products that help you broadcast the data.
While the longer range is a much-awaited improvement, experts were also expecting to see a mesh configuration. The introduction of the fifth generation of Bluetooth will certainly improve the adoption of connected devices.
