The wireless Bluetooth technology has gained momentum over the last few years and now that the fourth specification has been nailed it will lead to longer reach, lower power consumption and encryption.
Bluetooth 4.0 has been officially set by Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) and the new specification has been released to developers. The wireless standard has the same transfer speed as Bluetooth 3.0, 24Mbps, but the reach will now be up to 100 meters and at the same time lower power consumption, which will enable the technology to move into even smaller units and lower battery usage.
| Version | Data speed |
|---|---|
| Version 1.2 | 1 Mbit/s |
| Version 2.0 + EDR | 3 Mbit/s |
| Version 3.0 + HS | 24 Mbit/s |
| Version 4.0 | 24 Mbit/s |
Bluetooth 4.0 supports AES-128 encryption and lower latencies than before, which will make it both more secure and userfriendly.
Bluetooth v4.0 is like three specifications in one – Classic Bluetooth technology, Bluetooth low energy technology, and Bluetooth high speed technology– all which can be combined or used separately in different devices according to their functionality. Thanks to its innovative design, Bluetooth low energy wireless technology consumes only a fraction of the power of Classic Bluetooth radios. This design enables the technology to be used in devices powered by small, coin-cell batteries and, in some cases, makes it possible to operate these devices for more than a year without recharging.
