Стандарт Bluetooth 4.0 становится Bluetooth Smart вслед за появлением в iPhone 4S
Вслед за выпуском компанией Apple своего новейшего iPhone 4S, ставшего, по сути, первым появившимся в широкой продаже смартфоном с поддержкой Bluetooth 4.0, организация Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), занимающаяся поддержкой и развитием соответствующего стандарта беспроводной связи, официально начала продвигать указанную технологию под новым маркетинговым термином Bluetooth Smart.
Как сказано в выпущенном недавно пресс-релизе, Bluetooth SIG анонсирует два новых расширения бренда для устройств с поддержкой Bluetooth 4.0. Под торговой маркой Bluetooth Smart Ready могут фигурировать мобильные телефоны, планшетные компьютеры, ПК и телевизоры, реализующие радиостандарт Bluetooth v4.0 с двумя режимами. В то же время обозначение Bluetooth Smart будут нести на себе, к примеру, пульсометры и шагомеры, использующие для питания аккумуляторы таблеточного типа и созданные для сбора определенного вида информации.
При этом устройства под маркой Bluetooth Smart могут включать поддержку лишь однорежимной радиотехнологии Bluetooth v4.0 с низким энергопотреблением, а сам новый стандарт обещает реализовать беспроводное энергоэффективное взаимодействие портативных устройств, что открывает перед их владельцами множество новых возможностей. В то же время отметим, что пока даже iPhone 4S не может раскрыть связанный с Bluetooth Smart потенциал из-за отсутствия соответствующей периферии.
What Is Bluetooth? The Ultimate Guide
Former Lifewire writer Melanie Uy has 5+ years’ experience writing about consumer-oriented technology and is an expert telecommuter.
Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years’ experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.
In This Article
Bluetooth is a short-range wireless communication technology that allows devices such as mobile phones, computers, and peripherals to transmit data or voice wirelessly over a short distance. The purpose of Bluetooth is to replace the cables that normally connect devices, while still keeping the communications between them secure.
The «Bluetooth» name is taken from a 10th-century Danish king named Harald Bluetooth, who was said to unite disparate, warring regional factions. Like its namesake, Bluetooth technology brings together a broad range of devices across many different industries through a unifying communication standard.
Bluetooth Technology
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Developed in 1994, Bluetooth was intended as a wireless replacement for cables. It uses the same 2.4GHz frequency as some other wireless technologies in the home or office, such as cordless phones and WiFi routers. It creates a 10-meter (33-foot) radius wireless network, called a personal area network (PAN) or piconet, which can network between two and eight devices. This short-range network allows you to send a page to your printer in another room, for example, without having to run an unsightly cable.
Bluetooth uses less power and costs less to implement than Wi-Fi. Its lower power also makes it far less prone to suffering from or causing interference with other wireless devices in the same 2.4GHz radio band.
Bluetooth range and transmission speeds are typically lower than Wi-Fi (the wireless local area network that you may have in your home). Bluetooth v3.0 + HS — Bluetooth high-speed technology — devices can deliver up to 24 Mbps of data, which is faster than the 802.11b WiFi standard, but slower than wireless-a or wireless-g standards. As technology has evolved, however, Bluetooth speeds have increased.
The Bluetooth 4.0 specification was officially adopted on July 6, 2010. Bluetooth version 4.0 features include low energy consumption, low cost, multivendor interoperability, and enhanced range.
The hallmark feature enhancement to the Bluetooth 4.0 spec is its lower power requirements; devices using Bluetooth v4.0 are optimized for low battery operation and can run off of small coin-cell batteries, opening up new opportunities for wireless technology. Instead of fearing that leaving Bluetooth on will drain your cell phone’s battery, for example, you can leave a Bluetooth v4.0 mobile phone connected all the time to your other Bluetooth accessories.
Connecting With Bluetooth
Many mobile devices have Bluetooth radios embedded in them. PCs and some other devices that do not have built-in radios can be Bluetooth-enabled by adding a Bluetooth dongle, for example.
The process of connecting two Bluetooth devices is called «pairing.» Generally, devices broadcast their presence to one another, and the user selects the Bluetooth device they want to connect to when its name or ID appears on their device. As Bluetooth-enabled devices proliferate, it becomes important that you know when and to which device you’re connecting, so there may be a code to enter that helps ensure you’re connecting to the correct device.
This pairing process can vary depending on the devices involved. For example, connecting a Bluetooth device to your iPad can involve different steps from those to pair a Bluetooth device to your car.
Bluetooth Limitations
There are some downsides to Bluetooth. The first is that it can be a drain on battery power for mobile wireless devices like smartphones, though as the technology (and battery technology) has improved, this problem is less significant than it used to be.
Also, the range is fairly limited, usually extending only about 30 feet, and as with all wireless technologies, obstacles such as walls, floors, or ceilings can reduce this range further.
The pairing process may also be difficult, often depending on the devices involved, the manufacturers, and other factors that all can result in frustration when attempting to connect.
How Secure Is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is considered a reasonably secure wireless technology when used with precautions. Connections are encrypted, preventing casual eavesdropping from other devices nearby. Bluetooth devices also shift radio frequencies often while paired, which prevents an easy invasion.
Devices also offer a variety of settings that allow the user to limit Bluetooth connections. The device-level security of «trusting» a Bluetooth device restricts connections to only that specific device. With service-level security settings, you can also restrict the kinds of activities your device is permitted to engage in while on a Bluetooth connection.
As with any wireless technology, however, there is always some security risk involved. Hackers have devised a variety of malicious attacks that use Bluetooth networking. For example, «bluesnarfing» refers to a hacker gaining authorized access to information on a device through Bluetooth; «bluebugging» is when an attacker takes over your mobile phone and all its functions.
For the average person, Bluetooth doesn’t present a grave security risk when used with safety in mind (e.g., not connecting to unknown Bluetooth devices). For maximum security, while in public and not using Bluetooth, you can disable it completely.
Bluetooth 5.0 is the newest version of the wireless standard. Devices began supporting Bluetooth in mid-2017, and it’s now implemented in many compatible Bluetooth devices. Bluetooth 5.0 offers four times the range, twice the speed, and improved bandwidth over Bluetooth 4.0.
Bluetooth tethering is when Bluetooth pairs two devices in the same Personal Area Network (PAN), and the internet connection of one device can be shared with the second device.
Bluetooth powers smart speakers such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home devices and wireless portable speakers designed for indoor, outdoor, and beach use.
What is Bluetooth 4.0?
Bluetooth is a technology people know but don’t necessarily love. That’s because Bluetooth gadgets can be tough to pair, and they tend to run out of juice too quickly. Bluetooth 4.0—or Bluetooth Smart—gives the standard a brain transplant. The new specification uses improved technology that helps everyday gadgets stay paired longer while using less power. Plus, Bluetooth 4.0 enables a new class of gadgets such as fitness trackers, medical devices, key fobs for your car, and even home lighting controls.
Want to get up to speed? Our guide to Bluetooth 4.0 explains all.
How is Bluetooth 4.0 Different?
This generation of Bluetooth is split into two groups: Bluetooth Smart Ready and Bluetooth Smart. To understand why the tech has been split, you first have to look at the challenges facing Bluetooth as we know it. Those challenges are battery drain and the constant pairing and re-pairing of connected gadgets.
Bluetooth 4.0 is designed to be more intelligent (hence: Bluetooth Smart) about managing those connections, especially when it comes to conserving energy. The new generation of Bluetooth tech places less emphasis on maintaining a constant stream of information. Instead, it focuses on sending smaller bits of data when needed and then puts the connection to sleep during periods of non-use.
When two 4.0 devices are paired, they waste less battery power because the connection is dormant unless critical data is being shared. With the previous generation of Bluetooth, it was best to shut down your hardware when it was not in use. Now the Bluetooth Special Interest Group estimates between 1 and 2 years of battery power in some devices with Bluetooth 4.0.
What is Bluetooth Smart Ready?
Bluetooth Smart Ready gadgets are primary devices—think smartphones, notebooks, and tablets—that can receive and share Bluetooth signals from such accessories as speakers, headphones, fitness accessories, and even medical tools such as heart-rate monitors and electronic thermometers. Think of Bluetooth Smart Ready devices as a mothership, waiting to send and receive data from smaller drone ships around it.
What is Bluetooth Smart?
Using that analogy, the drone ships are Bluetooth Smart devices. These peripherals connect to Bluetooth Smart Ready smartphones, tablets, and notebooks. Bluetooth Smart gadgets can also remain paired with Smart Ready devices even when they’re not used for hours or days at a time. Thanks to Bluetooth 4.0’s emphasis on wake and sleep modes, Smart peripherals that aren’t in use can remain in sleep mode indefinitely; they can also wake from that sleep mode in an instant, paired and ready to share data with a Smart Ready tablet, notebook, or smartphone.
For instance, a heart monitor can be worn for hours yet only send data to a Smart Ready smartphone when a heart rate reaches a certain number of beats per minute during exercise. Likewise, a wireless thermometer can remain paired for days, but it will send temperature readings to a notebook only when that device is used to take a child’s temperature.
Does Bluetooth 4.0 Make Existing Bluetooth Products Obsolete?
Newer laptops, phones, and slates with Bluetooth Smart Ready radios built in will work with previous-generation Bluetooth peripherals. Essentially, if you have a Bluetooth Smart Ready smartphone or notebook, you can still use it to stream podcasts to your Bluetooth 3.0 wireless speaker system or headphones. So no need to throw out those headsets or portable speakers.
On the other hand, Bluetooth Smart peripherals only work with a Smart Ready counterpart. So if you want to take advantage of Bluetooth 4.0’s new low-power capabilities, get ready to go shopping—you’ll need a new Bluetooth Smart Ready phone, computer, or tablet in addition to a Bluetooth Smart accessory or peripheral.
What Products are Available with Bluetooth 4.0?
As of press time, the Apple MacBook Air and the Mac Mini desktop were the only Bluetooth Smart Ready computers. Compatible smartphones include the Motorola Droid RAZR and the Apple iPhone 4S.
Some Bluetooth Smart peripherals include the MotoACTV fitness tracker and music player, as well as an exercise heart-rate monitor from fitness gadget manufacturer Dayton Industrial. The Bluetooth SIG expects nearly every new smartphone and notebook shipping this year to include a Smart Ready radio.
The Bluetooth SIG told us that many Bluetooth Smart peripherals will be released in 2012, including wireless 3D glasses, home entertainment remote controls, and medical devices. The Bluetooth SIG also hopes to see Bluetooth expand into ovens, refrigerators, thermostats, and lighting systems. If that happens, dimming the lights or checking on the turkey could be a simple matter of using an app on your phone.
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