'Bluetooth 5' Officially Announced as the Final Version of the Core Bluetooth Specification
Laying the groundwork for innovative wireless connectivity with significantly enhanced interoperability

Bluetooth SIG officially announced on the 8th that 'Bluetooth 5' has been adopted as the final version of the core Bluetooth specification.

Bluetooth 5 features extended range, speed, and broadcast message capacity compared to previous versions, as well as enhanced compatibility and coexistence with other wireless technologies. In addition, Bluetooth 5 is expected to bring about an improvement in the Internet of Things (IoT) experience by supporting easy and intuitive connectivity between a wide variety of devices.

Mark Powell, Executive Director of Bluetooth SIG, stated, “Bluetooth continues to innovate users’ Internet of Things (IoT) experiences. The newly released Bluetooth 5 provides reliable IoT connectivity as well as simple and seamless beacon usage capabilities. This lowers the barriers to device connectivity, enabling a smoother IoT experience.” He added, “Through these enhanced Bluetooth capabilities, new applications are possible in environments where Bluetooth was previously used, such as outdoors or industrial sites, and the potential for expansion beyond the home to entire buildings has also become a reality.” “With this launch, Bluetooth will continue to evolve for its core values as an international wireless standard, enabling users around the world to enjoy more intuitive, stable, and enhanced connectivity,” they stated.



Bluetooth 5 features four times the range, approximately twice the speed, and eight times the broadcast capacity compared to the previous version. The expanded range enables robust and reliable IoT connectivity within homes, entire buildings, and outdoors. Furthermore, faster data transmission and improved response performance are expected to enable richer and more intelligent data transmission.

Furthermore, Bluetooth 5 has been updated to significantly reduce the risk of collisions, enabling coexistence with other wireless technologies in the increasingly complex global IoT environment. In addition, it is equipped with both the flexibility to allow developers to adapt it to the requirements of devices or applications, and industry-leading low-power performance.

Market research firm ABI Research Inc. projected that more than 48 billion internet-connected devices would be installed worldwide by 2021, and that about one-third of these devices would be equipped with Bluetooth functionality. At this critical juncture as we enter the era of the Internet of Things, Bluetooth 5 is expected to play a pivotal role in the industry's growth.

Patrick Connolly, Principal Analyst at ABI Research, stated, “The global wireless connectivity market is growing rapidly, and the annual shipment volume of ICs is expected to reach 10 billion by 2021. Bluetooth 5 facilitates IoT development and provides flexibility to enable application-optimized designs along with cost reduction. In other words, the launch of Bluetooth 5 will offer new opportunities for various IoT-related companies and industrial environments.”

Products equipped with Bluetooth 5 are expected to be released within 2 to 6 months from the launch date of Bluetooth 5. The Bluetooth SIG will continuously innovate users' IoT experiences through Bluetooth 5 and unlock the infinite possibilities of the Internet of Things.