Bluetooth 5: What you need to know about the new wireless technology

An update to the decades-old technology Bluetooth was
officially adopted this week, offering wireless connections with faster
pairing and a longer range.
Bluetooth 5, which has been accepted as the official
standard for the connection technology by the industry body Bluetooth SIG,
is expected to boost the creation of wireless connected
gadgets, part of the internet of things.
How is Bluetooth 5 different?
Bluetooth
5 is twice as fast as its predecessor and can connect devices at quadruple the
range, making it more reliable for use outside and around the whole of a
house.
The
bandwidth on Bluetooth 5 is 2 Mbps up from 1 Mbps, which means devices with the
new standard will be able to transfer twice as much data, as well as making it
quicker to send and receive information.
A longer range, of up to four times
that of Bluetooth 4.2 with low energy, means that smart home devices such as
security cameras will be able to cover the entirety of a house. Improved
ability to detect and prevent interference from other devices helps
improve signal too.
Bluetooth 5 is also more efficient in its use of
broadcast channels, which have become crowded on the 2.4 Ghz band. "These
broadcasting channel improvements will enable developers to create
experience-based apps that can bridge the physical and virtual worlds,"
said the Bluetooth SIG.
When can we use it?
Now the technology is the new standard, device makers are
advised to fit their upcoming gadgets with it. The Bluetooth SIG estimates that
products made for Bluetooth 5 will go on sale within two to six months.