The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has proposed a new specification, called Bluetooth Enhanced Data Rate (EDR), which will increase Bluetooth's bandwidth. Bluetooth EDR devices will have 2.1Mbps of bandwidth to work with, triple that of today's devices which max out at 712Kbps. The prototype specification is backwards-compatible, using Bluetooth 1.2 tech for making connections and data transmission, ensuring that new EDR devices will be able to communicate with current ones.
SIG hopes to finalize the EDR spec before winter, with products hitting the market some time in 2005. With Wireless USB on the horizon in a similar timeframe, some analysts suggest that Bluetooth needs to get cracking on a speed increase in order to stay competitive. However, the first WUSB devices will not begin shipping until some point in 2005, and Bluetooth has a large head start in the market in terms of supported devices. With 3.2 megapixel camera phones in the offing, Bluetooth EDR could be just what the doctor ordered to get high-resolution pictures from phone to PC.
arstechnica
Jun 11, 2004, 08:52 PM
