Bluetooth 3.0 spec to have Wi-Fi speeds
updated 11:30 am EDT, Thu April 9, 2009
Bluetooth 3 Spec In Weeks
The Bluetooth SIG today provided early details of the Bluetooth 3.0 spec ahead of a full formal launch. The new format should provide a jump in bandwidth that gives it speed roughly equivalent to common Wi-Fi, or several times the 3Mbps speed of Bluetooth 2.0. Transfers will be quick enough to let songs arrive "within seconds," according to the group. It will also serve as a unique way of establishing one-on-one Wi-Fi connnections: a hand-off mode will use Bluetooth to auto-discover other nearby devices and switch to a direct Wi-Fi link as long as both devices have Wi-Fi as an option.
Equally part of the spec is a new technique known as Enhanced Power Control that prevents a connection from dropping when a device is suddenly put in an enclosure, such as a bag or a pocket.
More details of Bluetooth 3.0 should be made public on April 21st, when the SIG plans its formal introduction of the technology and identify early supporters of the short-range wireless standard. No plans have circulated outlining when 3.0 will arrive in shipping products and whether any existing Bluetooth devices will be upgradeable.
Notably, Apple's iPhone OS 3.0 will use Bluetooth to establish local network connections similar to what's contained in the upcoming Bluetooth format, though it's believed that Apple is using a custom approach and existing Bluetooth 2.1 hardware to achieve the effect. [via Phone Scoop]
