Bluetooth has always been a big part of mobile thanks to accessories like headsets, but with the recent explosion of wearables and connected home goodies, Bluetooth has become an even bigger deal. As a result, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group has introduced Bluetooth 4.2.
Bluetooth 4.2 includes support for IPv6 and 6LoWPAN, a feature that’ll allow Bluetooth devices to connect to the Internet themselves rather than requiring a smartphone, tablet or other device to connect them. Data transfer has also been improved in Bluetooth 4.2, with Bluetooth Smart data sync speeds increasing 2.5 times and packet capacity growing nearly 10 times.
The Bluetooth SIG says that Bluetooth 4.2 includes improved security that prevents Bluetooth Smart devices from being tracked and also includes improved data encryption. Finally, Bluetooth 4.2 offers power improvements that let the batteries of Bluetooth Smart devices sip less juice.
With the rise of connected devices, smartwatches and more, Bluetooth 4.2 sounds like it ought to be a big improvement to the Bluetooth standard. Battery life on wearables has been an especially hot topic lately, and so the power improvements in Bluetooth 4.2 are a welcome tweak. However, there’s no word yet on when we can expect to see Bluetooth 4.2 used in consumer hardware.
