The technology continues to evolve and expand, taking advantage of the desirable attributes it possesses: a small-form factor radio, low power, low cost, built-in security, robustness, ease-of-use, and ad-hoc networking abilities.
According to the latest market study by In-Stat, they are forecasting continued success, with expected Bluetooth-enabled device shipments to exceed 2 billion in 2013.
“Bluetooth continues to gain design wins over a wide range of applications, with Bluetooth device shipments increasing by 23 percent between 2009 and 2010,” says Brian O’Rourke, Research Director at In-Stat.
Bluetooth has been bolstered in the past year by the emergence of two new standards. Bluetooth 3.0 + High Speed (HS) combines classic Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to transmit large data files and Bluetooth 4.0 -- which offers much lower power consumption than classic Bluetooth and targets medical and fitness devices, as well as PCs and mobile phones.
In-Stat's latest market study insights include:
- Classic Bluetooth will remain the leading BT interface throughout the forecast period.
- Bluetooth 3.0 + High Speed is a software-only solution that allows Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to work together.
- Bluetooth 4.0 primarily targets new BT markets: medical, fitness, and security devices.
- Bluetooth 4.0 + High Speed option expected to hit the market in mobile phones by the end of 2011.
- Automotive BT is now a common option in mid-priced sedans.
