Bluetooth Technology Gets Faster with Bluetooth 3.0

The next generation of Bluetooth technology, also known as Bluetooth 3.0, is supposed to hit the market soon, delivering transfer speeds up to 160 times as fast. The new specs are designed to increase the wireless standard’s bandwidth by a considerable margin and transform Bluetooth into the product it should’ve been a couple years ago. Right now there are more than one billion devices that utilize Bluetooth technology, but once the 3.0 version goes public at the end of this month, that number is expected to increase dramatically.

Manufacturers of home entertainment devices and consumer electronics can now design their products to transmit larger media files, including photos, videos, and more.
For instance, the new “high speed” technology could be used to transfer digital photos from a camera to a computer, or music files from a PC to an MP3 player. Also, the new Bluetooth 3.0 technology could be used to stream video from a camcorder to an HDTV.

The new technology is designed to be completely backwards compatible with older Bluetooth devices. Thanks to the reliance on 802.11, which is the same protocol used by routers and WiFi modules, electronic devices utilizing Bluetooth 3.0 will experience increased power savings and built-in enhanced power control. As a result, consumers will enjoy enhanced performance, better battery life, and improved responsiveness.

Some other benefits consumers will experience with this new technology include:

• Mass download photos to laptops, desktop computers, and printers
• Wirelessly synchronize music libraries between PC and music player or phone
• Send videos from phone or camera to PC or television

Manufactured products supporting the new Bluetooth 3.0 aren’t expected to hit the market for another 9 to 12 months.