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Why does the Bluetooth version need to be constantly updated?

deryunpony

With the passage of time, Bluetooth technology has been developed for 23 years, and the version has also been upgraded from 1.0 to 5.3. In theory, the more advanced the Bluetooth chip, the higher the cost. Why does the Bluetooth version need to be constantly updated?

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    deryunpony said:
    Why does the Bluetooth version need to be constantly updated?

    Why does any technology need to be updated? New features enable new applications and use. As we explore those new capabilities we envision even newer ones!

    The ubiquity of a nearly seamless, and for the most part secure, wireless protocol opens up a world of possibilities. In the 2000s, Bluetooth was viewed as a wireless-serial connection between PC, laptops, and mobile phones. That is where the focus for higher data rates came from with versions 2 and 3. However, with the popularity of a wireless handset for use with mobile phones, in cars, and even some desk phones came a need for better audio quality. How do you get higher quality? Faster data rates! Now you can stream audio data fast enough to get quality comparable to wires!

    Then as Bluetooth 3 got to impressive speeds the new focus became power management, so Bluetooth 4 gets a little speed bump and introduces the Low-Energy protocol. (And wow, as a terrible firmware developer, I love BLE! It is so easy to develop for compared to the full stack.)

    And now that practically everything that requires a WiFi connection also has a BLE radio for that initial setup, there are an unthinkable number of Bluetooth devices in the field. Wouldn't it be nice if they could mesh with each other? Kind of like how AirTags and Tiles do? Now you have Bluetooth 5....

    So why does it update? Because the industry and its customers continue to see new ways to use this ubiquitous protocol.

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    deryunpony said:
    Why does the Bluetooth version need to be constantly updated?

    Why does any technology need to be updated? New features enable new applications and use. As we explore those new capabilities we envision even newer ones!

    The ubiquity of a nearly seamless, and for the most part secure, wireless protocol opens up a world of possibilities. In the 2000s, Bluetooth was viewed as a wireless-serial connection between PC, laptops, and mobile phones. That is where the focus for higher data rates came from with versions 2 and 3. However, with the popularity of a wireless handset for use with mobile phones, in cars, and even some desk phones came a need for better audio quality. How do you get higher quality? Faster data rates! Now you can stream audio data fast enough to get quality comparable to wires!

    Then as Bluetooth 3 got to impressive speeds the new focus became power management, so Bluetooth 4 gets a little speed bump and introduces the Low-Energy protocol. (And wow, as a terrible firmware developer, I love BLE! It is so easy to develop for compared to the full stack.)

    And now that practically everything that requires a WiFi connection also has a BLE radio for that initial setup, there are an unthinkable number of Bluetooth devices in the field. Wouldn't it be nice if they could mesh with each other? Kind of like how AirTags and Tiles do? Now you have Bluetooth 5....

    So why does it update? Because the industry and its customers continue to see new ways to use this ubiquitous protocol.

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