What you don’t know about Bluetooth 5 technology
Surely, it has come to your mind before what is Bluetooth 5, which has recently become one of the most important announced specifications in modern mobile phones and what its advantages and differences with older versions of Bluetooth technology, especially the previous version of Bluetooth 4.2 Low Energy.
In this article I will review the features of the latest version of Bluetooth technology, as well as a simple comparison between it and the previous version Bluetooth 4.2 Low Energy.
Let me first give a brief overview of what Bluetooth technology is and its history before talking about its fifth generation.
Bluetooth technology
Initially designed for short-link radio technology, the initial purpose of Bluetooth technology was to make wireless headphones, starting with Ericsson when Rydbeck asked Tord Wingren to make a suitable replacement for RS-232 connections, which was used to transport the data in 1989 in Sweden.
The name was later changed to Bluetooth after the Harald Bluetooth in the 18th century as an example of the unification of Danish tribes, because the technology was able to connect seven devices at the same time without intersection.
The Bluetooth logo consists of two parts, the H and B in Scandinavia, being the first letter of the first and last name of Harald Bluetooth.
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A group was created under the name of Bluetooth Special Interest Group or, as is currently known briefly, Bluetooth SIG, a group of more than thirty thousand companies in the field of communications, computing and networks, as well as consumer electronics, where no company is allowed to manufacture a device using technology Bluetooth without its Bluetooth SIG standards.
Bluetooth 5 technology
The fifth generation of Bluetooth technology was launched under the name Bluetooth 5 in December 2014, while its specifications was announced in June 2016.
The focus of this version is more on the Internet-of-Things to enable the communication with all the devices in your home without having to approach them.
The first mobile phones supported by the technology are the latest versions of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 +, as well as the Galaxy Note 8, where the company’s comment on the Galaxy Note 8, the strongest communication device they have until now.
Apple has also released three Bluetooth enabled handsets: iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X, and we are still waiting for the rest of the devices to be released this year, most notably the awaited Google Pixel 2, Next October.
This version is capable of transmitting data in a longer range of four times than Bluetooth 4.2 since the earlier version could transmit data in a range not exceeding 50 meters, while this version can transmit data up to 200 meters.
This long range enables you to Communicate with all the smart devices around you, especially those that fall under the Internet-of-Things category. This is the most important goal of this release because it consumes less power and has a longer range and can transmit data faster.
Speaking of speed, the fifth version of Bluetooth technology is twice as fast as the previous version, because it can transmit data up to 2Mbps, twice the speed of transmission that existed in the previous version as it was transmitting data at 1Mbps.
Furthermore, based on the effective use of Bluetooth channels on Apple’s iBecaon and Google EddyStone technologies, improvements are expected in these location and navigation functions. This version will contribute to Bluetooth SIG’s development of beacon technologies Broadcast ads and instructions in malls and other places.
Also, one of the most important improvements we are accustomed to with every new version of Bluetooth technology is to reduce battery consumption for both the phone and other devices that receive data from it via Bluetooth 5 technology.
Bluetooth 5 and Internet-of-Things
The Internet-of-Things market is becoming more and more popular today. Having smart home appliances or having your entire home run by smartphones has become not a big deal.
“Bluetooth is revolutionizing the people’s experience of the Internet.” Said Mark Powell, the executive director of Bluetooth SIG, “Bluetooth 5 continues to revolutionize this by creating reliable communications in the Internet of things and beacons, which in turn will reduce communication barriers and provide a seamless experience in the Internet of things.”
Can you use Bluetooth 5 now?
The answer to this question is yes, you can use it, but unfortunately there are so far a few devices that have this technology in its components of the devices mentioned above from Samsung phones Galaxy Note 8, 8 and 8 Plus in addition to the iPhone X and 8 and 8 Plus.
But the good news is that Bluetooth 5 has a backward compatibility feature that enables you to use technology with older devices, which means you do not need to update your entire set of devices to use with your new Bluetooth 5 phone.
What about Acoustics?
When talking about audio and Acoustics, which is of course the most important to us here in Samma3a, there is also a benefit to us in the field of acoustics because of the new update.
The quality of the music you listen to, of course, will also be affected by the speed of data transfer that has doubled.
Read Also: Sony MDR1000x Noise cancelling bluetooth headphones Review
The most important feature of the fifth-generation Bluetooth technology is the ability to broadcast music to more than one headset separately. The feature that we have seen on the latest Samsung phones, which enables you to transmit audio to more than one headset and control the sound of each other, will now become more powerful and non-specialized with Samsung with the new version of technology.
Have a look at our collection of Bluetooth headphones in Samma3a store
This was all about the fifth generation Bluetooth 5, the technology that will revolutionize the data transmission field, which is no longer as short-range as it was when it was compared to Wi-Fi.
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