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Bluetooth 5 With 4x Longer Range and 2x Faster Speed is Officially Approved

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The Bluetooth Special Interest Group today announced that the Bluetooth 5 standard has been officially adopted, which means manufacturers are now able to build it into their devices.

The next-generation Bluetooth standard offers longer range, faster speed, a larger broadcast message capacity, and better interoperability with other wireless technologies.

bluetooth5-800x538.jpg

Compared to existing Bluetooth 4.2 protocol, Bluetooth 5 offers four times the range, two times the speed, and eight times the broadcast message capacity, bringing whole home coverage and more reliable connections between connected devices.
"This means whole-home and building coverage, as well as new use cases for outdoor, industrial, and commercial applications will be a reality. 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, connectivity."
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With the debut of Bluetooth 5, SIG's Bluetooth naming convention will drop all references to version and point number going forward, simplifying marketing.

Devices that adopt Bluetooth 5 will be available within two to six months, meaning the next-generation products Apple plans to debut in 2017, including the iPhone 8, may offer Bluetooth 5 support.

Article Link: Bluetooth 5 With 4x Longer Range and 2x Faster Speed is Officially Approved
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2016/12/07/bluetooth-5-officially-approved/
HobeSoundDarryl

HobeSoundDarryl

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Feb 8, 2004
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So, 4-5 key benefits cited but where is "improved wireless audio quality" which, relative to countless "the future" arguments seems to be the most important benefit of taking this step toward the future.

Surely, Bluetooth 5 addresses audio quality and audio latency issues of the existing Bluetooth standard, right?

Are those in "8X broadcast message capacity?" Else, where are they?
 
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pat500000

pat500000

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brendu said:
If nMP doesn't have this, Apple really has given up. That is the one machine that should have top end cutting edge everything.
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I'm both hopefully and nayer in regards to nMP....but if the event turns out to be apocalyptic type....I would hope there's one for cMP as upgrade compatibility.
 
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Abazigal

Abazigal

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HobeSoundDarryl said:
So, 4-5 key benefits cited but where is "improved wireless audio quality" which, relative to countless "the future" arguments seems to be the most important benefit of taking this step toward the future.

Surely, Bluetooth 5 addresses audio quality and audio latency issues of the existing Bluetooth standard, right?

Are those in "8X broadcast message capacity?" Else, where are they?
Click to expand...
We will see. Current bluetooth is supposed to be able to support up to 10 devices paired concurrently, yet in reality, I find that 2-3 already start giving me problems (because they don't always play nice with each other).

I will believe it when I see it.
 
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pika2000

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MacRumors said:
With the debut of Bluetooth 5, SIG's Bluetooth naming convention will drop all references to version and point number going forward, simplifying marketing.
Click to expand...
Really? This will create even more confusion in what features customers can expect if they don't have devices with the latest Bluetooth.
I mean even internal to Apple, we already have confusion from the lay consumers as to what devices support handoff etc. Then there are issues where devices don't play nice with each other, and it's more difficult to troubleshoot if there's no distinctions between versions.

I think this is why Apple decided to just develop their own solution via the W1 chip.
 
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Soccertess

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Oct 19, 2005
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Appleaker said:
I can't wait to see the improvements in Bluetooth accessories... especially wireless audio.
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for sure. I had issues with my wireless headphones today and had to use wired, it was horrible! I think if wireless charging enters the world (something better than Qi), than the days of wires is done for
 
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Mac 128

Mac 128

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Apr 16, 2015
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pika2000 said:
Really? This will create even more confusion in what features customers can expect if they don't have devices with the latest Bluetooth.
I mean even internal to Apple, we already have confusion from the lay consumers as to what devices support handoff etc. Then there are issues where devices don't play nice with each other, and it's more difficult to troubleshoot if there's no distinctions between versions.

I think this is why Apple decided to just develop their own solution via the W1 chip.
Click to expand...

I said it before, Apple sits on the BT SIG board, and is integral in the development of the standards. It's likely that Apple took what it needed from those standards and implemented them early in the W1, since the W1 will likely have to be compliant with BT 5 in order for the brand new AirPods to retain their value for more than a few months. Apple may also have implemented some of their proposals to try and force the change as part of future standards.
 
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