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Bluetooth 5 Now Available

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Re: Bluetooth 5 Now Available

#91

Why is general bluetooth connectivity so "buggy"? Why am I always struggling connecting my iPhone 6s to my bose bluetooth speaker? I would love to understand that.

This comment (in the tree above but relinking here) helped me understand: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13126964

Bluetooth frequencies are absorbed by water (and your body is water)

Re: Bluetooth 5 Now Available

#92

Considering every phone I've tested (iPhone 5S, iPhone 6+, Samsung Note, Moto X, Nexus 6P) with 7 different bluetooth headphones (ranging from cheap Amazon ones to expensive LG) I have NEVER found a phone, paired with headphones, that stayed connected especially when the phone is in my side pocket and I'm walking in an open space which seems to make connectivity significantly worse. For instance getting on the BART b…

I've only used Jaybirds with my iPhone 5S and 5SE. Didn't even know this was an issue.

I suggest giving them a try. Phone in pocket has never been a problem for me, regardless of where I am at the time. The battery even survives a 4h+ marathon.

Re: Bluetooth 5 Now Available

#93

Considering every phone I've tested (iPhone 5S, iPhone 6+, Samsung Note, Moto X, Nexus 6P) with 7 different bluetooth headphones (ranging from cheap Amazon ones to expensive LG) I have NEVER found a phone, paired with headphones, that stayed connected especially when the phone is in my side pocket and I'm walking in an open space which seems to make connectivity significantly worse. For instance getting on the BART b…

I have a cheap Bluedio Turbine (€25 on amazon) I've been using for a month without any issues whatsoever, phone in pocket, cycling, rain... plus I haven't charged the battery even once, 3+ weeks of daily usage in. I'd say bluetooth tech is getting quite amazing!

Re: Bluetooth 5 Now Available

#94

Considering every phone I've tested (iPhone 5S, iPhone 6+, Samsung Note, Moto X, Nexus 6P) with 7 different bluetooth headphones (ranging from cheap Amazon ones to expensive LG) I have NEVER found a phone, paired with headphones, that stayed connected especially when the phone is in my side pocket and I'm walking in an open space which seems to make connectivity significantly worse. For instance getting on the BART b…

I have a cheap Bluedio Turbine (€25 on amazon) I've been using for a month without any issues whatsoever, phone in pocket, cycling, rain... plus I haven't charged the battery even once, 3+ weeks of daily usage in. I'd say bluetooth tech is getting quite amazing!

Re: Bluetooth 5 Now Available

#95
post #83

Considering every phone I've tested (iPhone 5S, iPhone 6+, Samsung Note, Moto X, Nexus 6P) with 7 different bluetooth headphones (ranging from cheap Amazon ones to expensive LG) I have NEVER found a phone, paired with headphones, that stayed connected especially when the phone is in my side pocket and I'm walking in an open space which seems to make connectivity significantly worse. For instance getting on the BART b…

Getting 2.4GHz through the human body is hard. The human body is mostly water, and bluetooth is, after all, the same frequency of your microwave oven, which uses 2.4GHz because it's in a band of frequencies from 1-20GHz that water absorbs. When you're indoors, you don't need to get bluetooth through your body. You're getting reflections off of nearby walls and ceilings which allow your bluetooth devices to communicat…

What will the effect on battery life be?

Re: Bluetooth 5 Now Available

#96
post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Getting 2.4GHz through the human body is hard. The human body is mostly water, and bluetooth is, after all, the same frequency of your microwave oven, which uses 2.4GHz because it's in a band of frequencies from 1-20GHz that water absorbs. When you're indoors, you don't need to get bluetooth through your body. You're getting reflections off of nearby walls and ceilings which allow your bluetooth devices to communicat…

What will the effect on battery life be?

And on the body?

Re: Bluetooth 5 Now Available

#97
post #48
post #19

As someone who is building an applied AI hardware product, what can we expect from BT5 ? > Key feature updates include four times range, two times speed, and eight times broadcast message capacity. Longer range powers whole home and building coverage, for more robust and reliable connections. Higher speed enables more responsive, high-performance devices. Increased broadcast message size increases the data sent for i…

Keep an eye out for this. Should be available very soon https://www.nordicsemi.com/eng/Products/nRF52840

Dev kits seem to already be available: http://www.digikey.com/short/3594m8

Re: Bluetooth 5 Now Available

#98
post #72

Still no audio profile that supports Opus. Why are we still using a 20 year old audio codec (SBC) for Bluetooth speakers? Opus is low enough bitrate that it could even theoretically be used over BLE (ignoring latency problems), while still wiping the floor with SBC. Regardless of whether BLE transport is possible, it depresses me that Opus support still hasn't been added to the A2DP.

We got brand new 25 year old codec now! PATENTED and owned by Qualcomm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AptX

Re: Bluetooth 5 Now Available

#99
post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Getting 2.4GHz through the human body is hard. The human body is mostly water, and bluetooth is, after all, the same frequency of your microwave oven, which uses 2.4GHz because it's in a band of frequencies from 1-20GHz that water absorbs. When you're indoors, you don't need to get bluetooth through your body. You're getting reflections off of nearby walls and ceilings which allow your bluetooth devices to communicat…

What will the effect on battery life be?

The higher data rates are hoped to at least partially compensate for the higher power. You burst data at high power, but for less time. Also, there are retransmits that occur now, if a packet is corrupted. Higher power should result in fewer retransmits, which will help with battery drain. Battery life is hoped to be better, even with the higher power.

Re: Bluetooth 5 Now Available

#100
post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What will the effect on battery life be?

And on the body?

There are regulatory limits on how much RF a device can send into the body. These are called SAR limits [1] and they are not changing. I was joking about the body effects. The legal limit is not changing. But devices that used to be further below the limit, will now be closer to it.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specific_absorption_rate

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