Bluetooth 3.0 to be 10 times faster

Bluetooth 3.0 is the next higher technology innovation by the Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group). This version offers 10 times faster data rates compared to the Bluetooth 2.0 EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) which gives 3 Mbps. The high speeds are achieved by layering on top of the 802.11 wireless architecture.

This would mean that this feature is optional and available only on devices which already have the wi-fi capability. When high speeds are desired, the Bluetooth device turns on the wi-fi device and uses it’s radio spectrum to achieve the high throughput momentarily. It switches off the wireless device, to save power but still maintains connection with Bluetooth layer once the transfer is done. Although 3.0 hardware draws more power than the current version, the faster data transfer rates will justify it.

With Bluetooth 3.0 you would be able to transfer bulk files such as videos, music collections, photos albums in much lesser times compared to the current version. However it still falls much behind the data transfer rates of USB 2.0 data cable.

Bluetooth 3.0 requires a new hardware to support it. Manufacturers like Atheros, Broadcom, CSR and Marvell are already underway to manufacture these chips. We can expect to see 3.0 devices early next year.