Bluetooth 2.2 to leverage WLAn and UWB
21 January 2009
News
Information from IMS Research
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) will release Bluetooth version 2.2, a new specification of the Bluetooth standard, in mid-2009. This new release will include a specification for High Speed Bluetooth, allowing for Bluetooth-enabled devices to transfer data at greatly increased speeds and giving Bluetooth-enabled handsets many compelling applications beyond voice transmission to a headset.
The High Speed Bluetooth specification will utilise Bluetooth technology in conjunction with either WLAN or UWB for improved data rates, and the two technologies will be marketed as Bluetooth 10x and Bluetooth 100x respectively, nomenclature that refers to the respective data rates of the technologies. This new standard will allow mobile handset users to utilise the pairing and interoperability advantages of Bluetooth technology and the increased throughputs of WLAN or UWB for wireless video streaming to computers or set-top boxes, wireless printing, and wireless peer to peer content movement, among other applications.
Of course, to utilise this new technology, mobile handsets will need to be equipped with a WLAN or UWB radio. According to IMS Research analyst Chris Schreck, “In handsets, Bluetooth 10x will likely come to market first, with volume shipments starting in 2010. Because WLAN already has an established presence in handsets, and because it has a proven use case, we have seen most handset OEMs express an interest in utilising the 10x version, at least initially. Furthermore, the device environment for WLAN is much more developed than the UWB environment, so handset OEMs may be waiting until there are a greater number of UWB-enabled devices before including UWB in a handset.”
However, IMS Research projects penetration of both WLAN and UWB in handsets to grow over the next five years, making significant adoption of High Speed Bluetooth in handsets a very plausible development over that time period.
For more information visit www.imsresearch.com
Further reading:
Rooibos heads to space
News
A South African scientific initiative linking agriculture and space research has officially launched today with the Rooibos in Space programme at Parklands College’s Innovation Centre in Cape Town.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: Local can be international
Technews Publishing
Editor's Choice News
Welcome to the July 2026 issue of
Dataweek. As you can see from this introduction,
Dataweek’s regular editor, Peter Howells, is on extended leave and I am filling the void in his editor’s column – hopefully without being too boring.
Read more...
Landis+Gyr EMEA introduces new company name: EYKON
News
EYKON is the new company name of Landis+Gyr EMEA, formerly part of the Landis+Gyr Group. The company supports electricity, gas, water and thermal utilities in managing increasingly complex networks, improving operational efficiency and enabling more sustainable use of resources.
Read more...
Yamaha Robotics will show visitors to EFX
Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services News
Yamaha Robotics will show visitors to EFX 2026, the Expo for Electronics Manufacturing, in Stuttgart from 6-8 October 2026, how advanced surface-mount automation helps companies grow their business and increase productivity.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: The art of measuring the truth
Technews Publishing
Editor's Choice News
All electronic measurements are a lie. The trick is making the lie as small as possible.
Read more...
TSE has relocated
News
The Technology Station in Electronics (TSE) has entered a new chapter with its relocation from the CSIR campus to TUT-owned building at Ditsela Place in Hatfield.
Read more...
Innovative MyLegrand app
RS South Africa
News
Legrand SA is set to launch the MyLegrand mobile application, a digital platform designed to strengthen engagement across its professional network.
Read more...
Kulani Energy acquires critical assets from Optipower
News
Kulani Energy preserves engineering, procurement, and construction capability and positions a wholly women-owned firm at the forefront of South Africa’s grid expansion.
Read more...
From Cape Town to Johannesburg
News
Würth Elektronik South Africa has taken a significant step forward with its recent relocation from Cape Town to Johannesburg, marking a new phase of growth and ambition for the company.
Read more...
Lesley Havenga: Building partnerships for Africa’s electronics future
Editor's Choice News
As Würth Electronik expands its footprint across South Africa and the broader sub-Saharan region, Havenga’s blend of manufacturing expertise, supply chain knowledge, and people-centred leadership appears well suited to the task.
Read more...
printer friendly version