Bluetooth 5: how does it work and what will it change?

First photo sharing between two phones, streaming lossless music, Bluetooth technology has evolved very important. The deployment of Bluetooth 5 with the Galaxy S8 as a standard-bearer opens the door to new digital mutations. For the occasion, we take a look in the rearview mirror to understand the progress made in less than 20 years. 

From Bluetooth 1.0 to Bluetooth 4.0

The Bluetooth was born in the premises of the Swedish company Ericsson in 1994. An origin that undoubtedly explains its name taken from the Nordic history. He refers to the Danish king Harald the blue tooth, which unified the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway through communication. The purpose of Bluetooth being to be a standard of communication between different technologies, the name was all found.

In 1998, several telecommunications companies (IBM, Nokia, Toshiba ...) created the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) to specify the standards of this communication standard. The following year, Bluetooth 1.0 came with his first phone, the Ericsson T39 .

The following versions will be mainly dedicated to fix bugs and increase the bitrate. It was not until 2004, to see the Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate). This then makes it possible to increase the bit rates to 2.1 Mbps. It will be necessary to wait again 5 years before seeing a new important evolution. In 2009, the Bluetooth 3.0 + HS (High Speed) multiplies by 10 the bandwidth. Most importantly, it now uses  an 802.11 connection (identical to Wi-Fi) for data transfer .

Bluetooth 4.0, deployed from 2010, is part of a different logic. Two standards coexist. The classic and the Low Energy . The latter, much less greedy in energy allowed different uses that impact us today still.

The revolution of Bluetooth 5

The last born is the Bluetooth 5. If we can be surprised by the radical change in numbering, it is actually to follow the current trend. Like Chrome and Google, the idea is to limit to whole numbers. But, to tell the truth, chance is a good thing since it is also a major evolution .

Specifically, the range is doubled and the flow rate of Bluetooth Low Energy low energy transmissions is quadrupled. This change announced last year by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) makes it possible to increase the bit rate to 4 Mbits and the range to 200 m. What seriously upset the uses. While we might have feared that it increases energy consumption, it is not the case, it is done on an equal level.

Bluetooth 5 also improves interoperability and coexistence with other wireless technologies. This involves reducing interference , especially those that could exist with Wi-Fi. The blessed bread to be able to install networks based on Bluetooth in a house or in a company but also for the manufacturers of smartphones.

The Galaxy 8, the first smartphone in Bluetooth 5.0

 

The first smartphone to integrate the Bluetooth 5 standard is the Galaxy S8. For the South Korean brand, it is of course an important movement in terms of brand image. That his flagship is the first to offer this feature is an element reinforcing its pioneering brand image . This should also attract new customers already eager to benefit from this technology. The fact that the brand is part of Bluetooth Sig has undoubtedly helped facilitate the process to integrate.

 

At first, this will mainly connect two Bluetooth audio devices at the same time. Gadget? In appearance yes, we rarely share a call on two headsets. But this benefit is to look at the yardstick of another technological revolution, that of connected objects .

Connected objects, a new development engine for Bluetooth 5

 

Because it is in this sector of activity that the development of Bluetooth 5 will play an important role. While the smartphone market is skating, that of connected objects is still in its infancy. Experts estimate that by 2020, there will be more than 50 billion! France already represents a leading market, with 30% of the French being equipped.

And connected objects are greedy for communication. Domotics, Quantified Self or E-Health are leading sectors that generate an immeasurable amount of data that circulates and accumulates. These transfers are carried out mainly through two communication standards. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth .

For a long time, Bluetooth has benefited from the advantage of its lower battery consumption, reinforced by the standardized Low Energy in 2010. What's more, this standard benefits from an almost perfect interoperability between the different objects for a very high data consumption. low. From a health point of view also the advantage is Bluetooth. Although the debate still reigns over the actual dangers of electromagnetic waves , the power of emission is much lower than for Wi-Fi.

But, he  tried to line up last year with the announcement of Halow . Also called passive Wi-Fi, it has a longer range and is much less energy. His profile seems almost destined for the market of connected objects. Bluetooth 5 is also a reaction to try to establish itself as the basic standard in the market for connected objects.